Consign to Oblivion
by Nekron Smauzog
Summary: [CANCELLED] Takes place during Learning To Live. The Paladin of Equestria has been summoned to attend the Friendship Festival in Canterlot alongside his friends. But when a cruel villain debuts and has plans for Equestria, little does the Paladin know is that he will begin his greatest journey and greatest battle yet.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Before I begin, I wanted to state that I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the Movie or the Prequel comics. Any original characters in the story are owned by the writer, whom is: Me.**

* * *

 _Gather around dear friends, and listen to this tale that I am about to tell you of._

 _You are already asking yourself at this point "Is this the story about the Paladin of Equestria and how he retrieved the Song of Order? That ancient blade sworn to protect everypony in times of danger?" No, no. Not at all. This is a completely different tale, but in a faraway land where it has no hopes of reaching our enchanted lands of Equestria._

 _Long ago, when the isles of Whinnepagos had collapsed from the skies and fell into the oceans between the two worlds - it was by the prophets, considered the warning sign of what would come for the land of Abyssinia, home of various other races... feline, parrot, zebra, elk, ibex, countless other innocent races that inhabited that side._

 _All of them had been aware of what happened in the middle of the ocean, but had dared not to cross the ocean to the other side for Equestria. They had already been aware of what happened to their Hippogriff neighbours to the south - following their unexpected disappearance following the war between them and the hairy minions of a yeti-satyr they knew nothing about years later after the establishment of Equestria._

 _From the island south-west is where they feared this yeti-satyr who dared to call himself king. Just like their master over there, the fur of his minions were white as winter snow, and their eyes through their own helmets an icy blue. Though his birth was quite a mystery unable to be figured out, they knew about almost nothing about him._

 _He... a cruel, yet dangerous king who led a mighty fleet he had built for many years on what others south of Abyssinia considered to look like flying ships soaring overhead in the skies to show his intimidation that would one day attack Abyssinia with unknown purposes. They knew of his ambitions: how he conquered many lands past his own island, and destroyed dozens more of them._

 _He remained unaware of the Paladin that had been bestowed upon Equestria, though only having heard rumors of what went on there like how a single lone human not from their world took down Nightmare Moon and spared her in the end. He easily brushed off anything that mentioned a human... just knowing that it wouldn't be possible for humans to exist in their world. At least that's what all think._

 _The name of this king is enough to bring quite a chill to even your own bones. This invincible, implacable force of nature... striking panic to those who dare cross him. His name... was the Storm King._

"Whoa, hey!"

 _Uhhh... what?_

"Seems kinda unfair to have somebody else telling my story! If we're going to have a whole chapter about me, then I'm going to tell it!"

 _No, you can't do this! Let me go! Not the dungeon!_

"Sorry about that folks. Typical narrator stealing my spotlight. In order to have you hear everything of my intentions... you'll want to hear what I have to say don't you all? So please... join me on the next chapter, won't you?"

"Let me tell you a story about myself... The Storm King."


	2. Origin - Storm King

**Storm King's POV**

 **Present Time**

In the skies, our airships soared through leaving the past cities of Abyssinia behind. To the distance, we could see the capital shining with all of its glory aside from the grouchy frown upon my own face as I eyed at the castle of their own leaders, the king and queen who represented the land.

The ship I stand on is that of my own flagship, leading the charge with other ships in various numbers following right behind me. Soldiers trained over the years on the island I grew up on, having convinced them I was the righteous one to follow. On the other airships were those of the treasures I had taken in my own right, and the other half being mostly military and invasion weaponry.

Yes, this was my intention. We were finally going to invade the capital of Abyssinia, Panthera after Tabbytown had been completely wiped clean of their gold and jewels on the path there.

My second-in-command, Strife was right behind me. He himself looked very much like a dark cloud with purple highlights in the mist, and blue dots for his own eyes to turn and look. He had arms for quite a cloud himself, though I was not aware of what kind of race he was in all of Equus. Three of my own highly-ranked minions stand right behind me, awaiting orders.

"Strife." I grabbed his attention, never turning my eyes away from the approaching city.

I can sense that he has floated like any other cloud over beside me. I only catch glimpses of that haze in the vision, especially with the deepened and dark tone in his voice as if he was one of those butlers. "My lord?" He questioned.

"Is everything ready for the invasion?" I asked, expecting nothing more than an answer from my most trusted commander himself.

The handling part of a spear is heard setting to the ground as I can tell one of my highly ranked minions would have to take in as much brief rest he could until I had announced that the storming could very well begin, thinking only of the fortunes worth there should the feline king and queen themselves be holding it from my own hands.

"Oh yes, my lord," the low-pitched tone spoke to me. "Your armada has already conquered the rest of Abyssinia. Only now the capital of Panthera, still stands... and your forces only await your command."

"Good... good." I responded quite calmly and well, placing my right hand in front of me in a closed manner.

I signal for one of my warriors to stand in front of me and to embrace the feeling of what was yet to come in our victory upon their own doorstep. I pulled out one of those fancy hats that I managed to take from the mayor of Catskills himself that contained a faux flower on top of it for decoration. I proudly place it onto the soldier's head.

A smile forms on my face, and I don't look so grouchy now. "After the invasion, I should do something for the soldiers," I suggested to Strife in quite a relaxed, yet pleasured tone that was contained in my voice. "You know... like a Pizza Party! Or a Funny Hat Day!" I turned around to see that annoyed look upon the cloud's own face, knowing that it was typical of me to make comments like that. "Something to show that I appreciate all their hard work pillaging and looting!"

Strife groans for a moment, knowing that I was starting to act off-point again. He places his hand onto his own head, an annoyed expression shown on his own face.

A second had passed and he spoke once again with the same tone as his expression. "As you say, my lord. Shall we begin the invasion?"

The invasion? "Oh! Right!" I paused for a moment, bringing myself back on track from the soldiers. "Yeah, let's hit it!"

I turn towards my obedient soldiers who look to me with proudness, finally relieved to receive that order that they were waiting from me. "Onward, my minions!"

They nodded their heads, signalling to the other airships of my command. They too begin to make their descent towards the capital. I walk towards the railing, and look below at the faces of cats with expressions of worry and fright on their own faces, unaware of the conquest I had down my own sleeve. I raise my left hand and cletch it into a fist, my eyes directed right onto the capital's palace... home of the King and Queen of this land.

"...And make another empire fall."

* * *

 **Capper's POV**

The sounds of screaming and fire in the city could be heard from my own ears as I was held back to cover under the Kibble cart in front of the Yarn shop. I had been unaware of the trumpet that warned of danger even when it had become too late.

Cats were running in fear past the stall for their own lives, and from above in the smoke for those barely visible airships were those of the Storm King's minions dropping down with a slam and onto Panthera soil. Armed with dangerous spears, I could see a few of them trashing up the place and creating damage around the streets ahead from where my head was peeking out.

My friend Chummer is right beside me, almost afraid to move as a grey and white cat runs off screaming past us to move away from the oncoming march of the white coated minions with even their own faces covered to avoid having their identities exposed, I assume. Perhaps they are born with it.

However, I am merely interested in getting a good look at the airships above, despite the smoke barely covering them up. Curiosity is what grabbed me for the Storm King's flag ship and how much larger it is from the rumors of the other cities that reported in on it. Didn't expect that they would even strike here at all.

"Come on, Capper!" I can hear Chummer whispering to me with fear in his own voice. Already he was scared out of his own wits from the numbers of the minions marching on through the city towards the palace.

I stood my ground though as I needed a better look at the sky and the shadows of the transportation above. "I wanna get a better look at their ships, Chummer!" I whispered back to him, despite how he was trying to pull me away from there.

From above and in a good perspective from the Kibble Cart, I could see at least three... no, six of the hairy minions hopping down from the airship above with an object that they would use to barge on through the doors of the palace. Well, that's what I can gather... until there is a much bigger slam to the ground that almost caused me and Chummer to stumble.

My eyes could finally grasp onto the figure who was standing there in front of the minions. He is beside the pillar-like object, but even his height was much taller. I couldn't see his face from the angle I was at, but from what looks like either a helmet or a crown... I can tell that this could be the Storm King himself making no distraction ahead as he readies his troops to march to the doors.

One of the spear-holding minions that was marching with his king, turns his blue dotted eyes underneath that mask of his right at us. He noticed us spying, and even I can hear its growl of intimidation for us both to back off. Neither of us move at all, nor did we even expect the first move that he made towards us.

The minion charges his spear at the Kibble Cart's umbrella and begins to tear right at it. Almost like committing a riot, he smashes the cart down with its sign flying apart, knocking us back but knowing now that they want violence if watched with either fear or intimidation from us, let alone resistance!

"Let's beat it!" Chummer shouts at me, by which I agree with him at this point.

Both of us run off from the damaged cart, hearing only the snort of the minion the further we moved away from the area. I knew that it was a lost cause trying to go back and see what was going on with our majesties, the King and Queen...

No... the airships are of my interest. I think I'll go and check them out when they aren't so crowded by the minions. Though I am sure that Chummer will insist on tagging along.

* * *

 **Storm King's POV**

At last... we're right at the doorstep of where our last stop would be in ravaging the city of Panthera.

The soldiers for a while had managed to barge into the banks of Panthera, and loot the gold from there, taking the jewels from the aristocrats living in the high estates close by the palace and having savaged shops indoor and outdoor for gold. Hmmmm, heard they call these bits on the other side of Equus.

I raise my hand, issuing a signal to the soldiers to begin breaking down the door on the count of three. They keep the pillar in hands, their eyes perched onto the large double door of fancy carved wood. Despite all the screaming in the fiery city and the crackling of flames in the distance, I began my countdown by my own fingers.

 _Three... two... one..._

They barge forward, banging the pillar onto the door at least once before moving back for another charge. It took a few times to knock with force but I was starting to see cracks there... a weak point starting to crumble as even the doors were almost trembling the faster and the harder we pounded.

I can presume that the King and Queen of Abyssinia won't take it so easy on having their treasures being taken from them for my own self. They most likely have a small resistance, ready in there and hostile should we start coming in. No worries though, for so long I have trained them how to ravage... to fight...

The doors open a large hole into the doors, exposing the inside of the palace. I can hear a bit of movement in there when the soldiers pulled back and threw the pillar in the opposite direction, having nearly hurt some of the citizens. I make my slow approach to the door, being that it might be one of the royal guards coming to investigate past the hole and why it had all of a sudden, stopped the door attack.

I must have gave the kitty there quite a heart attack there when I popped my head past into the light of the hole, seeing him stand there with curiosity at first but then turning to surprise to see that smile upon my face. "Hellooooo?" I stated out loud to the soldier as he almost jumps out of his skin. "Anybody home?"

The pillar pulls back one last time, moving my head out of the way to allow the doors to go swinging open. The dust from the damage could be seen lifting upwards into the air outdoors, some of the haze moving indoors. I took one step forward into the palace with my soldiers following right behind me, sticking their spears of steel at the royal guards and the civilians who looked to have been lucky to step in... well, at least until I manage to get in.

"Hope you don't mind me letting myself in," I responded to the two royal figures in front of me. Both of them had violet or purple robes that they wore. Both of them have two different crowns with complex designs, something I'll be happy to take. "But I practically own the place already, don't I?"

I move forward towards the king and queen, a grin of ease posing onto my own face. The slits in their own yellow toned eyes can only watch me in fear as I made my slow approach. By the division of royal guards trying to stop me from moving closer, they are unable to from the defense I had. "Your majesties... King and Queen of Abyssinia..." I took the time to properly give them the gratitude of my own introduction. "You should surrender now."

"...Storm King," The king responds to me with fear and without any hope left for himself or the queen looking at him with a glare towards me, already on terms with surrendering and offering me his crown for the taking. "You have conquered this nation. Abyssinia is yours." I could only practically yawn as he spoke.

I take the crown into my hands. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not really into the whole 'ruling' thing," I responded. My hands krinkle and crunch up the crown, turning it into nothing more but a gold mush featuring a red jewel that came along with it. "You folks can keep Abyssinia."

"W-What?" He almost sounded quite surprised to hear that answer.

I toss the wrecked crown to one of my soldiers who practically stuffs it into a sack for the cargo ships from where I stored the other treasures of Abyssinia. I wipe my hands to get the minor dust off, turning back to the king. "I know I call myself a 'king' but frankly, Monarchy just isn't my thing," I explained to them. "You take over one country, next thing you're dealing with taxes and committees and retirement packages!"

"No... I don't want Abyssinia-" I moved closer to them, snatching one of the Queen's rings to peek through the hole at them both. "-Just its riches."

I slip the ring onto my ring finger, remaining quite calm with them... this being almost too easy for me. "The treasure vaults of Abyssinia are filled with strange and exotic wonders, so they say," I continued with a bit of detail on what exactly it was. "Magical artifacts, flawless jewels, golden trinkets... I'd like them all, please." I at least show some proper manners to actually say please there, in that sarcastic way of course.

The king himself was almost speechless. "You want... our wealth?"

"The wealth of all Abyssinia!" I exclaimed as I look and admire the ring on my right hand. Strife comes floating right into the room like the dark cloud he was, just watching everything that was going on. "Everything shiny, valuable and... or at least, semi-precious!"

The tone in my voice precisely changes to that which I almost sound like I am boasting and complaining at the same time. "Running a whole armada is expensive, you know... you wouldn't believe the upkeep on all those airships." I said to them.

By this point, I am pretty sure the queen has had enough and finally took a stand to speak out. "You... you can't!"

Two of her cat servants pull out a map featuring all of these trade routes on the map that involve catnip, milk, yarn and kibble. Various others are not really that of my own concern. "Abyssinia is a trade nation," She started up. Oh goodness... boring. "We need our wealth to import crops, feed our citizens, build our homes! Almost the other half is for shippings that go out to Equestria, so the story of our heritage can be shared!" Her own paws are held together as if she was begging. "Please... you must leave us something!"

I wasn't backing down though, so too bad for them. "Oh I will," I said to them, expressing false sorrow in the tone of my voice and walking towards a wall next to their throne. "After I empty your vaults, I'll leave you alone."

The speed and strength of my left hand pounds in the shape of a fist straight to the wall while the queen can do nothing but hiss and spit at me. The impact wasn't one to shake the whole building but is enough to leave a large gapping hole in the wall to reveal what was inside there.

"There we are!"

Golden bits were scattered about as if they were small hills with candles about, jugs filled with probably more gold as ever. Milk containers are there, but most likely in storage for the king and queen in case of emergency. Money bags and chests can also be seen throughout the room, even a large ball of yarn... not my interest, but I shall take it regardless.

"Haul it away boys!" I commanded to the troops who are already en route with grabbing the first closest chest in sight. I left them with an expression of good graces. "Don't forget: lift with your knees, not with your back!"

One of the soldiers gives me a thumbs up in understanding as he is walking out to the airships with paintings under his right arm. I turn towards the royal felines, placing both of my hands onto their shoulders. "Come with me, your majesties." I offered to them, moving close to the treasure room - Strife keeping close by in case any of them try to attack.

"So tell me," I began, moving my hand to the treasure room and walking inside with them. I removed my hands from their shoulders. "All this gold and jewelry and stuff is great, don't get me wrong... but what I'm really looking for is some magical treasures. You know, charms... amulets... strange artifacts."

"...No." The king manages to find confidence to speak with me again. He moves his paw forward in the attempt to give me reassurance. "Abyssinia has little use for magic. You won't find treasures of that kind in our vaults."

"No?" I questioned to him with a clever grin on my face, placing my left hand onto my chin to act like I was thinking, before moving right to a green chest that had a lock designed in the shape of a heart with spike coming out of it. "So what's in there?" I pointed out, placing my hands onto the top of the chest.

I suspected that they might just be hiding more gold or jewels, but everything seems to change when I lift open the chest...

A green light caught me off guard but nevertheless, my eyes could clearly see what this was when catching this 'stone' in there among files. I grab onto it by the iron chains and look at this thing with wonder filling into my own eyes.

"Ooh, an ominous glow!" I nearly exclaimed, almost as if I discovered the mysteries of the heavens itself in my own hand. "That's promising..."

"No! Not that!" The king shouts to me with warning in his own voice.

"That will only bring ruin!" The queen belts out, almost as if she is in a panic.

"What... is it?" I almost questioned, caressing the green stone and feeling how smooth it was despite the rough texture. "I can sense... incredible magic in it..."

"Indeed, it is powerful... but also cursed." The king tells me, alarm in his voice when he spoke to me.

The queen speaks up once again to explain what that was in my hands. "That's the Misfortune Malachite! No one should use its power!" She exclaims. "The malachite brings bad luck and woe to any who possesses it. It was passed down and kept locked up for ages when the kings of the past had received it from the Princess of Equestria, to ensure that it would kept out of anyone's hands as she had given birth to a child those thousands of years ago!" Bah... history. Not of my interest. "You nor anyone else should have it! Whoever holds it for too long, or who uses its power, will come to ruin!"

"Really?" I pretend to sound almost surprised by that, tossing the jewel behind me for one of the soldiers to catch. "Well then lucky for you both, I'm taking it off your hands!"

I began making my way out from the palace, leaving the king and queen behind with shock in even their eyes to what was going on. "I appreciate the donations, folks!" I shouted at him who were behind with a smile on my face. "You'll keep me conquering for years to come!"

The airships outside were filling up with the last of the treasures, as the others began to carry up the last of the boxes they contained the wonders inside. My own feet board onto the plank, carrying me upwards to the flagship from where I carried my royal soldiers who were that of the top ranks, everyone else who was a soldier would maintain the task of raiding and taking the treasure for storage.

I stepped on deck for the flagship and turn towards the railing, placing my hands onto the fancy crafted wood and watching over the soldiers from there. My ears could pick up a bit of speaking, so I was able to catch a bit of it.

"Come on, Capper! Now's our chance!"

Hmmm, probably some cowards running away from the disaster that their own city has been placed into and what their future would be without wealth for the first time. I don't really show too much attention to that though, as my focus is on the soldier loading the last boxes in.

"Make sure it's stowed away tight, guys!" I called out to them. "We don't want anything shifting in transit."

"Wait! You can't!" I can hear that female voice speaking out to me. I proceed to take the golden ring with the red ruby engraved into it as I look down to see the queen with the tone of begging. "We have nothing left! Why have you destroyed Abyssinia?"

All I can do is grin with a chuckle, flicking the ring out of my own hand with a 'ping' heard. "Because it was next on my list."

I finally turn around and leave the king and queen there as the flagship takes to the skies once again, feeling nothing for their despair when they enter their collapse in the economy and have nothing.

For that ending, the king can only hold his queen close to him when the tears began to flow, amid all the screaming and chaos I created below.

The smoke was being left behind as the airships in the fleet accelerate past the walls of the capital below. No remorse is shown from the soldiers for what they did, as I trained them to show no feelings - something I learned when in the past years of my life. I can only look towards the fiery ruin of Panthera as the ships rise above the clouds.

"Another successful invasion, Strife." I commended to the dark cloud right behind me, hearing him write down the numbers of all the treasures for what they were worth.

"Yes, my lord," The low-toned pitch he has responds to me. "A masterpiece of strategy if I may say."

"Another country plundered of its riches," I sounded quite proud to hear him acknowledge my wondrous plans being that of a success. "They're barely even a challenge anymore... and do you know why?"

Silence could only come from the cloud as he dropped the pencil. I can feel his presence when he floats beside me. He seems to be quite eager to know why for probably the fifteenth time... or is it ninth time? I don't even know anymore.

"Because I have no friends," I revealed to him just like last time before. "Friendship is a weakness... a liability."

I move my arms, displaying my royal soldiers in sight who stand there, spears in hand awaiting for my orders should I command it, and ready to defend if necessary. "Friends distract you... make you weak..." I continued. "Friends can betray you, make you forget your goals. I have soldiers... commanders... workers... but no friends. Which means nobody will ask me to sacrifice my ambitions. My goals are my own." In my own eyesight, I can catch the little hedgehog janitor Grubber mopping on deck with an iron bucket filled with water.

Ah, I recall when I first met the little bud himself. He had been cast out from the tribe he had grown up, because like the other hedgehogs there... he didn't want to be like them. So he was thrown out in exile. Soldiers found him one day, and I was tempted to throw him overboard, but I saw some good use to have him as the janitor for the ships - so I welcomed him aboard. Without open arms, of course.

I move my right arm and turn my eyes to the dark cloud himself who remains silent, but appears to be listening by the look on his face. "Even you, my right hand creature! Even you are not a friend. You are an agent of my will."

He blinks as I clenched my right hand into a fist as he places his misty left hand onto his chin. "You serve me not out of some misguided sentimentality or imagined camaraderie...but because you know I will win, in the end. I will be the most powerful creature in the world." I took in a breath and silently exhaled. "...And you want to be at my side."

"...Yes, my lord." He says to me again with the same acknowledgement. "I am your servant."

From there, I can feel something come over me as I move my hand close by my mouth, unveiling a yawn that all could hear. "Well!" I said, a bit tired. "I don't know about you, but I am quite exhausted! I'm heading to my stateroom." I move past the cloud and opened up the double doors which by all means would allow me entry.

I turn to Strife again, seeing him float there and observing the skies above with both his hands pressed calmly together. "Wake me if anything happens, won't you?"

"Of course, my lord." Strife says to me, keeping a neutral tone as he was calm. "Sleep well."

I said nothing else when I turn away and enter the stateroom, closing the doors behind me. Good thing too, I deserve the rest.

* * *

 _So there you go, gentle readers. A glimpse into the life of me... the Great Storm King._

 _A small invasion, a little plundering...and a valuable magical artifact in the bag. Not a bad day._

 _That Misfortune Malachite... that gem has remarkable magic. Perhaps powerful enough to achieve my ultimate goal: Control._

 _Enough magic to conquer the whole world. That's all I've ever wanted and now...now it's almost within my grasp._

 _Now, I'm sure some of you may be asking: Why? Why do I desire conquest above all else? For that matter, who is the Storm King?_

 _Was I the child of a thundercloud and the sky? Was I born from an egg on a mountaintop? Or... I am merely an ordinary creature with dreams of greatness?_

 _What does it matter? I am purely what I am... no more and no less._

 _I hear only the rumors from even the whispers of this 'princess' from Equestria that had given birth to this child that they claim is not even their own race. Seems to protect them, but I don't even know the entire details. I only know of the description, just like the other one that is in my grasp._

 _Only other thing known, is that this 'child' has a blade of silver with golden markings that shine brightly. Should I meet him face-to-face, he will know very well that I am not the king of the storm..._

 _...I am a king who is a storm. I am a force of nature. I am greater than any one creature, even better than he shall ever be, and I will prove it by-_

There is the sound of a rumble and I can stumble momentarily with the ripped pyjames in my right hand as I broke out from the narration and wondered what the heck that noise was.

"What the-?!"

I barged right out from the stateroom, with hopes that the royal soldiers or Grubber didn't mess around with the wheel of the ship and crash us next to a mountain of some sort. Should any of them, they do have some explaining to do after all, especially since I was about to tell proof of what I would do to this 'child' to the readers of this story and chapters.

Yes, that's right. I can see you writing that review. Don't try to hide it.

The doors swung open, banging onto the walls. I was already quite angered by this disruption. "What is happening out here?" I demanded almost instantly.

I was completely thrown off when Grubber made the call out especially with the large spear piercing right onto the side of the flag ship. " **PIRATES!** "

From the flagged ship in front of us, we could see seven wingless parrots swinging on the ropes wearing those ridiculous hats and bandanas. They jump over from their own ship, taking ahold onto our fleet and bringing the fight to my soldiers, unordered.

"We're under attack!" One of the soldiers screams out, unable to do anything about that as they finally got on board my own.

"Yarrr!" The macaw-like parrot screeches out, his dagger in possession.

The other next to him wearing an eye-patch calls out to the rest of their crew. "Avast, ye scallywags!"

I am left speechless as those few pirates began to attack the soldiers, who are doing all they can to protect themselves and the treasures we got on the other ships in the fleet. Grubber doesn't fight at all due to his own size, but instead just tosses himself right into the janitor's closet to hide in.

"Take the wheel, boyo!" One parrot commands.

"Aye-aye!" Another voice responds, and I can feel a shift as one of the parrots takes ahold of the wheel that stirred my ship.

I wasn't going to let them sabotage anything that I owned, so without even my staff to help me in this battle, I moved forward towards the pirate who is shoving the soldiers out of the way - even doing what they can to stop him. He moves the wheel in a rather odd tilt, but I am able to grip onto his back and turn him around to face me.

He shows no fear and tries to swing at me despite how far he is from me, even when I held him away. All I can do is chuckle and toss him like a bowling ball to the side, allowing him to slam into two of these pirates.

My attention is drawn towards the other ships as I can see them overflowing to the others, and their directions are beginning to be thrown off-course. Worse of all that I can even imagine is that there are the treasures of mine on there.

"They're stealing my ships..." I finally made the realization that this was the true purpose of pirates when it came to this kind of stuff. " **THEY'RE STEALING MY SHIPS!** " I sounded very enraged by the time I said that again.

Wait a moment though...

I place my hands onto my hips and began to think for a moment. "What's going on?" I questioned out loud to myself, demanding an answer. "Where are the sentries? How did these pirates get so close to my armada?"

"Thanks to me, my lord."

Low-toned is the voice that I recognized when the expression of shock crossed onto my face and turned around to see him floating there... Strife. He is being guarded between three pirates who are pointing their blades of iron and steel right at me in case I tried anything at that cloud.

"I told the pirates where our fleet would be flying, and when," He confessed to me, opening his arms almost as if he is showing off in the way that he's the captain now, and I'm not. That'll never be the case though, as he is not as powerful as I. "I then took our sentries off-duty, leaving the armada unprotected." I began to move forward slowly towards him, still unable to respond. "These pirates are going to steal all your treasure ships...at my suggestion."

"Strife?" I finally managed to get out, swallowing down a bit of my own spit. "You... betrayed me?"

"No, Storm King." He responded to me, blinking his eyes and turning around so I couldn't see his face. "As you said... friends can betray you. I merely have my own goals..."

The pirates around us grab their ropes featuring little anchors that could be used to attach to their own ship, being that the treasure ships were under their control and our soldiers forced onto this flag ship. They were just about ready to go, but not without final words from the cloud itself.

He turns around and points at me. "...And they do not include you."

The pirates swing from the ship over to theirs with Strife floating across the sky towards the other ship as I was trying to feel no expression over being betrayed. When he crossed over to the other side, I know that even my words could bring him back to face me, even if I try once.

"You- You can't do this!" I begin to feel rage building up inside of me when I clench the both of my fists and nearly growling.

"I already have, King," He responds to me, his eyes glancing at me one last time. "You claimed to have no friends...but you trusted me. That was your mistake."

He finally turns around, getting out of sight as the pirate ship began to make its course through the night time skies filled with clouds like something that was common when there wasn't a thunderstorm going on.

My rage became too much though, as I let out a violent " **RRAAAAH!** " in frustration and what looks to be defeat... something I'll never accept.

I quickly turn to one of the soldiers, barely noticing Grubber get out of hiding in the closet nearby. From the quick turn, I can tell that he is struggling to get a small bucket off of his head. "You!" I ordered to one of the soldiers on the wheel. "Follow them!"

"I- I can't, sir!" The soldier tells me in his gruff-sounding voice as the rest of my soldiers did underneath their masks. "She's not turning right... Strife must've sabotaged the ship!" You don't say?

A brief glance was enough to turn me to the ships that are moving all towards the moon in the distance. I was already growling... I had no second-in-command now, and without one... wait! Grubber!

I move forward towards him when he was already in relief from pulling the bucket off from his head and tossing it to the side with a sigh of relief from him. I grab onto that white colored mohawk of his, hearing a "Gak!" coming out from him when I lifted him up off the ground.

"You," I acknowledged him, pointing a finger at him while holding a look of aggression. He looks rather nervous with fear, as all soldiers or servants should be if I am driven this far. "Small, weak, useless creature."

He gulps from a moment and fakes a smile. "T-that's me!" He says.

"You are too cowardly to ever attempt to betray me, are you not?" I questioned to him, almost as I was demanding answers out of him - even if it meant to scare him. "Too spineless to consider your own wants... aren't you?"

"Y-y-y-you got me pegged, boss." He stutters for a moment, but gave me an answer that I would consider as something that he would never betray me. He was a complete idiot anyway.

I tossed him over to the side, letting him roll on the floor and get back up onto his tiny hedgehog feet. "Good," I responded to him, still a bit enraged but enlightened as I issued him a new order. "You're my new second-in-command. Order the soldiers to get my ship repaired and follow those pirates."

For a glimpse towards the moon, I can those treasure ships of mine going far beyond my reach, allowing my clench only one fist this time in anger as the thought of Strife betraying me for pirates and theft from someone who will one day rule all of Equus by land and sky, above their heads... under their own feet or hooves.

"And summon my most trusted warrior who is resting in his private cabin to join me up on deck." I made the final order, my eyes only filled with that of wanting revenge. "We have a traitor to catch..."


	3. Origin - Captain Celaeno

**Earlier...**

The sky over the mountains looks to be quite clear for even the lone airship sailing onward there, embracing the warm heat of Celestia's sun. It was another day for the Storm King's minions away from the rest of the fleet, as there was yet to be another attack commanded by him on Panthera next.

If there is no command, the minions would do what they normally do under the Storm King's fist, obey him with the minor instructions and maintain control of the ships. One lone ship in the area though that two kept an eye on, ensuring there were no other threat in the area that would endanger them or what they had on board.

Two of these minions were watching the clouds and above from their own masks, their arms resting onto the railing as they did so. They looked quite calm, though it must have seemed boring for them. They're trying not to let the sun's rays get into their eyes, looking only towards the blue infinite.

"Afternoon, Ralph." The minion to the left greets, the tone of boredom in his voice.

The other minion next to him exhales a tired sigh. "Afternoon, Sam."

"How's the sky, Ralph?"

"Lookin' clear, Sam."

However, something did catch Sam's eye in the sky. It appeared to be coming out from the white puffy astral bodies, as it was some sort of ship that wasn't marked down as the fleet belonging to the Storm King. It didn't even look close to having that design on even their flag. "What about that, Ralph?" He asked.

"Well," Ralph turns and looks at the ship crawling out and catching up next to the airship. "That looks like a pirate ship, Sam."

Uh oh... they realized from there that this meant trouble because it was one of those sailing high above. Pirates were no good for them, as they were out for gold or treasures alike. A sailing spear pierces right into the hull of their ship from there, and they were brought into full attention.

Ralph and Sam could only turn towards one another, shock expressed on their hidden faces - though almost tired in their own eyes since they weren't ordered to coffee break by their lord and king.

"Think maybe we oughta start screamin', Ralph?" Sam asked him.

"...Think maybe we should, Sam." Ralph responded immediately.

From there swinging on their ropes and sheathing their cutlasses and blades, the pirates swung over their ship and to the minions, showing no fear when they crawl over and begin to surround the unarmed two. All showed intimidation to them, and even if they could try to run away they would be disobeying the commands and becoming cowards by shame.

"Sky Pirates!" Ralph screams out as a parrot jumps down from above on the rope with a fine steel cutlass, sharpened to the touch and that which shines in the sun.

This pirate was completely different when she points her blade at them. "Ya-ha-har!" She introduces herself to them, even with the color of red in her eyes. "Prepare to be boarded, ye dogs!"

Both of the minions didn't want to deny it, but they knew they were face-to-face with one of the leaders in the sky pirate world, infamous for the adventures they went on to Tartarus and back. No... this was no ordinary captain they were facing. Not like the books they've read in the ravage places from an invasion by the Storm King, where the captain is usually portrayed as fat and always clinging to a mug of iron and a hook for a hand. This one was female though, and from the newspapers scattered throughout... only her name came to their minds.

It was the infamous Captain Celaeno and her Pirates!

* * *

 **Celaeno's POV**

"Avast, ye scurvy scallywags!" I nearly howled with intimidation as the wind blew through my hair and my blade was lifting upwards as they weren't as hostile as I thought they would be. I am sure this is a first for them eye-to-eye with me, so I will give them the honor of introducing myself and the tradition of demands after. "I am Captain Celaeno, and we are fearsome pirates! Give us your loot or face our wrath!"

"N-No way!" The minion on the left stood his ground, not going to surrender so easily - though vastly outnumbered.

The other begins to speak with us. "The Storm King's rulebook says w-we oughta defend our cargo to the end!"

My response to that statement itself was just pressing my own face up against his own mask, a glare from these wild eyes of mine to give him quite a bit of a shock. Even he himself is close to shaking a bit... probably afraid to hit a female. What a sissy himself, and I thought the last ones we robbed of their loot were total cowards that surrendered in battle. My blade is pointed at him again, so that could be why he is shaking.

"On second though..." He finally stutters out, coughing for a moment and ensuring it is covered before continuing to speak to me. "Perhaps we could consider a temporary suspension of the rulebook."

I sheathed my blade and tipped my hat upward. "Mighty wise of you fellows!" Gee, that was almost way too easy. There definitely wasn't even a single battle or attempt at resisting at all, it's like they just put up the white flag and waved it for us to know. "Now... what cargo are you haulin'? Gold doubloons? Precious jewels? Valuable knick-knacks?" The list I am stating could go on forever.

"Uh..." The minion to the left can't figure out what to say, so his arctic blue dotted eyes turn to the other expecting an answer from him.

He pauses for a moment, probably thinking of something. Maybe he's hiding it... "...Wallpaper paste and bags of sand."

For that statement, I could only just give them this cold stare while they were shaking out of their own wits. The crew behind me have not said anything, but if it's just wallpaper paste and sand... it could definitely be worth something, even if it's very little a price to gather. I just kept that expression on my face for a second, no response from either side.

"YARRR!" The crew right behind me chants out, placing a smile right onto my face when I turned to see how excited they were about sand.

"You hear that, crew? Sand!" Mullet, my crew-mate announces to the others.

The Storm King's minions could only look at one another in confusion as the ship moved closer and the plank had been set down to begin the ravaging of the lone ship itself. They barge into the cargo bay below, taking ahold of the bags of sand and paste, bringing it back up on deck and moving across the plank to our ship.

My crew-mates' chants of "Ya-harr!" and "Yo-ho!" was enough to bring a smile upon my own face as I turned to the white-furred minions one final time.

They were quite speechless and I am certain that they wouldn't know what to say when they inform their leader of the robbing. Even the cracked hole in the side of their ship should give them the let-alone reason how they were hijacked. But my name is the only thing they should give away as a message to the Storm King, that I will strike without mercy.

I took off my hat and gave them a mockful bow as I walk backwards onto the plank beside me, turning and making a bunch of jumping tricks like the cartwheel and back-flips back onto my ship. The plank retracts back upwards to down from the deck as we depart away from there, sailing back above the roaring skies of Abyssinia - by the border of Equestria.

Moving to the railing and overlooking the skies ahead past the snow-top mountains, I exhale a sigh, placing the both of my arms down onto it to give it a rest. Another day, another ship ravaged of its materials... again.

"Another fine haul, eh, Captain Celaeno?" I knew I recognized that voice approaching from behind me.

I didn't turn away, keeping my eyes set out on the landscape. "Indeed, Mullet."

My crew right behind me were settling down after having packed the last of the paste and sand into the cargo. "We're a fine crew, we are," I began to speak with him, speaking my mind. "Surely there's never been as brave or as noble a band of adventurers to sail the skies. Some of us may be missing a few parts, sure... but that doesn't mean we're broken."

To my right, I can see Mullet resting his arms on the railing as he listens in on what I am saying. "We're not just a crew, Mullet... we're a family. And we've made this ship into a home."

"Maybe so..." He responds to me, his voice sounding calm as he spoke. "But the ship needs repairs and and restocks. If we're going to keep flying, we need to bag more than paste and sand."

I exhale another sigh upon realizing that kind of struggle there. "You're right," I said to him. "We can't keep scraping by with robbing cargo haulers."

Turning around and removing my arms from the railing, I began to move back and forth, letting my mind think about what we should do there. We practically have some gold... practically crazy that they call these things bits in Equestria, and neither I or the crew had ever gone that far before.

Being aware that it was a land filled with ponies, griffons and various other races there... I've heard the rumors from outside. A foreign creature in their land... someone who wields some silver blade. Don't really pay attention to that though as we're already trying to make a living and get food for all of us.

"We could start going after bigger ships," Mullet's suggestion brought me back to his own attention. Even so, what he was suggesting wasn't a good idea. "Follow the trade routes deeper into the Storm King's territory, find richer targets-"

"And put ourselves in greater danger," I interrupted him, the tone of my voice showing concern about that. I turn to the side to face the skies once again, standing my ground on my thoughts. "We've survived this long because we only go after small ships. The more we harass the Storm King, the more he'll notice us...and the more likely he'll want to destroy us. I admit, we can't keep flying with so little, but going after bigger prizes means bigger risks - and I won't put my crew in danger."

He nearly laughs behind me. I turn to face him, seeing a calm yet clever smile upon his beak. "That's a worthy sentiment, Captain..." He commented, finally having a chance to say something. "...But I don't think a better opportunity will simply fall onto the deck!"

I was going to make a response to that comment of his, but from out of the skies and the sounds of the wind, there came a loud crackling in the sky... or what sounded like it came from the sky. The strike of lightning in front of me was very much the reason how I was able to hear it.

 _KRA-KOOOM!_

Both me and Mullet had been caught completely off-guard even when we jumped backwards from the strike on our own ship. None of us were harmed, but there is confusion abroad the ship deck.

"What was that?" One crew-mate asked.

"T'weren't no storm in the sky!" Another claims, confusing yet having the feeling like he saw something that doesn't even resemble the moon.

"And what's this bottle?" Mullet spoke up after the others.

I wondered what he meant by bottle, since it seemed completely off-topic for what happened, even when there was only clear skies with a bit of small puffy clouds rolling along today. If this is another made-up story he is telling...

Wait. He is right, but there also seems to be something visible inside there. It maintains a green tone in its color... lightning flashes inside of it. That must be what he was talking about. I moved closer towards the bottle, picking it up off from the ground. I can feel the smooth glass texture while I am examining the inside of it.

"Looks like lightning in a bottle to me..." I claim, placing my hand on the top and removing the cork from the top.

The green clouds inside began to crawl out rather quickly from the inside of the bottle, as it looked to have begged to be set free. The pirates on deck squander into a group, unsure as if there would be a large explosion following afterwards or that we would all get electrocuted from thousands of lightning bolts that were yet to come out. From what I was aware... perhaps it was on the ship we raided.

From the clouds that formed around in a circular shape, we can see ourselves being greeted with what looks to be a blackened cloud inside of it with detailed light violet... at least until it has shown its eyes, which look to be dots in the color of arctic blue. Almost like the eyes of the Storm minions.

"Greetings Captain Celaeno..." The cloud introduces himself with a deep low-tone in his voice, those eyes staring like a piercing knife almost right into my soul. "My name is Strife. I have a proposal for you..."

I wondered exactly what he meant by proposal, a possible trade... maybe it was an ambush and we didn't know it. I had to be careful on what it was. It could be a trap that lures our enemies to us.

"You and your crew have been a thorn in the side of the Storm King for some time. I wish to help you," Help us? Really? My red eyes catch him pulling out a paper at first, but he unrolls it and reveals it almost like a map except it's directly in the sky with an X for that territory which we knew being the pass out from the nearby land. He continued to explain to us as I turn with an intrigued smile at Mullet. "In two moons' time, the Storm King's treasure fleet will be moving through this pass. His ships will be loaded with the treasures of the Abyssinian Kingdom...and I can ensure the lookouts will not be watching."

He places the map away and out of view in the green clouds, looking at both myself and Mullet with those haunting eyes. "There will be riches for the taking," He offers one last time. "The choice is yours."

The black cloud himself disappears out from the sight of the green, eventually allowing the green to disappear into the nothing. The bottle inside is emptied out, driven clean of the haze. The crew behind me who haad been listening were in a complete absolute silence from his message and offering to us.

"Did you hear that?" One pirate finally asked, excitement in the tone of his voice.

Another one of my mates speaks out. "Treasure! Treasure for the taking!"

"We could be real pirates again!" Another shouts with joy followed a couple of crew mates sqwaking in agreement.

"Just think of what we might plunder!"

I can see how easily the crew got the message when it came to gold and riches alike. Even when Strife had told us that there would be no patrols on our tail, I do sense that there would be something wrong - considering this was quite dangerous an offer. Should keep myself eased though, and warn them of this.

"All right..." I said to them with a calm voice, raising the both of my hands. "Hold on crew. This plan is awful dangerous, and we've no idea of who this Strife fella is or what he wants." The crew became silent again, looking at me as I spoke my concerns to them.

"We might take a mountain of treasure-" I stopped for a moment, letting myself exhale a bit of a sigh. I move back and forth whilst talking with them. One crew-mate that was drinking a bit of water from a bottle stops for a moment when I faced him. "But stealin' from right under the Storm King's nose is risky." I turn from the crew-mate towards the rest of them and Mullet who listens carefully. "We might gain...but I'm worried about what we might lose."

Silence yet again from the crew, and I look back at them with only the sounds of the distant wind blowing as our ship soars above. "Do we really want to risk what we have?" I asked them finally.

" **AYE!** " was the single answer that gave to me with excitement in their voices as they wave their iron blades, hooks and our signature flag in the air. They couldn't simply resist against this plan at all.

With that, a smile beams onto my face when my surprised emotion faded from their response. "So be it." I responded to them, Mullet looking quite forward to what was coming up in the next two moons ahead.

The Storm King himself shouldn't expect this at all.

* * *

 **In two moons' time...**

Night covered the entire land itself as our ship soars from above the pass. We could see the giant flag-ship below, floating silently above along with the rest of its fleet. Only a few lights were on in the ships but remain to be dim... must be the minions' quiet hour. The wind had calmed down, but at the steady level above, we wait.

My red eyes stare down at the prize itself, which is where I suspect Strife is waiting for us to make our move. From behind on the wheel, it is my second-in-command Mullet ensuring that we would get to the perfect spot for an all-out strike with iron spears. Should be enough to hook up our ship to the ships and the leading. Though I will keep watch on my crew, this should be quite the show.

"Steady as she goes, Mullet..." I spoke with the one-eye covered Mullet from behind me. "We need to approach the Storm King's fleet stealthily."

"Aye-aye Captain." He responds to me, taking us down slowly towards the side of the flag-ship. It was between empty skies and another treasure ship, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem since we're all quiet and awaiting until I gave the order.

I turn around and faced the rest of my crew, feeling like I need to give out a bit more advice to them - this is almost practically a suicide mission after all.

"Remember, crew: Pick a ship, hijack it, then flee!" I can find it inside of me as I tell them my strategy. "Make your way to the rendezvous! Don't take unnecessary risks! I'd rather have my crew home safe than a bunch of boats and no one to share them with! So stay sharp!"

A few of the crew-mates ready into position by the cannon and the iron spears, ready when given the order to open fire and begin spreading onto each ship for control. The ship has dived down between ships in the Storm fleet and I stayed quiet for a moment.

"And luck be with us all." I finally said as I drew my blade and rose it to the twilight skies above to signal the attack.

 _BOOM!_

The cannonball that had been fired out strikes the side of the flag-ship, practically catching everyone who was on there off-guard. Followed by that was the different directions that the iron spears were launched from our ship, latching onto the treasure ships. It pierces into their hulls and gives the crew access towards them.

The crew take ahold of the ropes attached at the spear's ends, zipping down towards the ships and beginning the infiltration. Onto my face came a smile... Strife was right about this after all, and I don't even sense a trap or ambush at all. It's just perfect.

From the treasure ships, I can hear the sounds of "YARR!" and "YA-HARR!" when they catch the minions off-guard. A couple are forced down and are captured by rope around a post while the professionals take care of those wheels to our gain. Others are thrown to the flag-ship. As for those coming off, I assure they will have a safe landing.

"First few ships have been captured, captain!" Mullet sounds very excited as he points to the ships and crew ahead that are cheering in sweet victory.

"Excellent!" I smiled and responded to him and everyone. "No point in being quiet anymore, crew! Time to make ourselves known!"

"Avast!" One ship-mate cries out.

One fires an spear into the flag-ship, piercing the hull straight through with full gripping force onto it. "Booty!" Another ship-mate calls.

"Ace! Pinwheel! Take that one to starboard!" I made orders to a few of my ship-mates by their given names. "Marco! Brutus! You're up next!"

From the infiltrated flag-ship, I can see a glimpse of the dark cloud Strife with a bit of my crew on the deck. From the shadows was that figure himself, the Storm King who remained quite puzzled. Probably found out that he was being betrayed by Strife. His arctic blue eyes are like the rest of his crew, but were more along the lines of the traditional eye shape in Equestria and other races like the Griffon and Dragon.

"They're starting to scatter, Captain!" Mullet notifies me as the ships we've captured fly off in different directions. Ran by our crew, there is the distant cheers coming from their ships and our flag rising above proudly.

"Take us in to the flag-ship!" I ordered to him. "We need to pick up our passenger!"

We began to make haste on edging closer to where Strife and the remaining crew were. Strife almost looks calm even when he is raising his long arms to the yeti-satyr himself, almost as if those were the famous last words being stated to him.

"Hold her steady, Mullet..."

We came into a close enough range for the crew to swing across. From the flag-ship, the crew throw their ropes above the ship to wherest they could come. Strife on the other half surprises me when he floats across the sky. I do look quite intrigued when he was on deck.

"You- You can't do this!" I can hear the Storm King shout at the cloud ahead of him.

"I already have, King." Strife could only answer to him, now aboard and safely in our grasp.

"All right! We've got him!" I turned to Mullet on the wheel. "Take us away!"

He salutes to me. "Aye-aye, captain!" He responds to me, spinning the wheel in a different direction, leading us away from the Storm King himself. Though I did have a bad feeling that he could be in an immediate pursuit.

" _ **RRAAAAH!**_ " I can hear his rage in the distance at even losing his own ships and isolating himself from them.

"Hold on tight, Strife!" I was ready for a chase should it happen, and if so I would be willing to fight. "We'll need to outrun the flag-ship! More speed, Mullet!" I gave another order to my second-in-command whilst I spoke with him.

In the low-toned voice I remember him speaking in, he sounded quite calm as he spoke. "Don't worry Captain, I sabotaged the flag-ship myself before I left. They cannot give chase."

I can hear him exhale a sigh of relief for a moment before he continued. "We are safe."

* * *

 **Later...**

We've all made it safely to the rendezvous as we had planned. The ships began to come into distance from the white clouds that spiral in different random directions. Flags of our name can be seen on the front as they approach.

"We did it, boys!" I called out to them with glory in my own voice.

Treasure was spread throughout the ships in good share. All of them are practically digging through the sea of golden bits and wearing all kinds of those golden and jeweled trinkets alike. Mullet sits atop of a heap of bits, wearing a ruby jeweled crown upon his head.

"We're rich!" He cries out with happiness in his voice. Normally, he's always been sounding very loyal and sometimes serious... but this was probably the happiest I ever saw him being like.

The crew agree greatly with him as they responded with "YARR!" and "YAH-HARR!", laughing away at their victories and having a great time with the new wealth we acquired.

"Your crew did well, Captain," Strife says to me as I can see his haze beside me. He too looks almost surprised at the number of treasures we obtained. "I am glad I trusted you with my plan."

"Likewise, Strife," I responded to him. I blink for a moment and look quite proud of the achievement. "This is the biggest haul we've ever taken!"

I turn to look at him with my red colored eyes. "I have to say... I was worried about the risks, but...it seems as though it all paid off."

"Cap'n!" Ace's voice called out to me, grabbing my attention. I turn around and can see him running towards me with a white cloth wrapped around an item of some sort. He looks almost excited just like the others. I don't really know what he's carrying though. "Take a look at what we found on one of the ships!"

From that joyful smile on his face like he had been given a present, he brings the cloth closer to me. "Here!" He says one last time, before moving the cloth and unveiling the item.

My eyes caught a glimpse of a green mysterious glow at first, but cleared quickly enough to see that it must have been like a rare stone of some sort, but glazed in a way. It looks like a jewel of some kind, but it sparkles quite beautifully aside from the glow.

"By the skies..." I was astonished for a moment, trying to get more words out. "...It's beautiful."

I took it into my hands, feeling the rough, yet glassy surface of the jewel. "What is it?" I turned to Strife and asked curiously.

"A trinket the Storm King acquired in Abyssinia," He begins to explain to me. "A magic gem known as the Misfortune Malachite. Supposedly it contains great power...but it also brings disaster. The Storm King thought to use it for his own purposes..."

He paused for a moment, while I am examining the gem with my eyes gazing upon it. "...Of course, that shall never happen now," He responds to me, almost sounding like he was making a suggestion to me of using it. "But you could use it for your own gain."

"I..."

Speechless again I was, me use the Misfortune Malachite? Even by the warnings Strife was giving me, it has a bit of a lure coming from its magic. I'm not really sure though... we were already making big enough risks within the decisions of the crew.

"...No." I gave him my answer quite calmly. "I never trusted magic much, and besides... I'll do nothing that puts my crew at risk."

I grip onto the black obsidian-like chain that was probably used for being worn to put it into effect. "I'll put this on one of the empty ships for now... until I decide what to do with it." I gave it to Ace, issuing the order silently to deliver it to a ship we've occupied. "Come with me, Strife."

"As you wish." He responds to me.

A rope is grabbed and I make a jump to the side on the other side, Strife floating right behind me as I led him there. The ship was really quiet from there, especially with Lix on the wheel, her eyes set to the horizon that the moon was yet to cross to.

"Ahoy, Captain!" The ship-mate greets me, focused.

"Ahoy, Lix!" I responded to her with greeting as well. "Anything to report?"

She shook her head with a smile. "Clear skies, Cap'n! I did hear some scratching below decks earlier... might be rats."

I made my way to the deck door and bent down to open it. "Rats, ugh." I almost complained for a moment. The usual that we hear of when any come on ship. "It's always something..."

Even when I was pulling it open, I was caught completely with shock and surprise as one figure pops out with a roar right into my face nearly scaring the absolute storm outta me! I certainly didn't expect to see two tabby cats in different fur tones coming out from there.

Nor did I expect to see one coming out and trying to scratch at me with its paws. I had to grip onto them even as they formed into fists, like he was trying to start a fight. The other one was quite calm, but the one in white and grey with black stripes needed to REALLY calm down.

"D-Don't come any closer!" He intimidates at me, his cat eyes in the color of blue glaring right at me - even if I was wondering what the hay was going on. "I'll knock yer lights out!"

All I did in response was grip onto the feline from his back and hold him up in a way of calming him down. His friend, the orange tabby, places his hand onto his mouth in almost a complete shock over this.

"Chummer!" He sounded like this was no way to act, especially for his friend. He was practically embarrassed by the tone of his voice.

I can only glace curiously with many questions soaring in my own mind. "What in the sky is happening here?" I asked as Lix and Strife can only watch me in this confrontation and even they too are in shock to see the Abyssinians on our ships.

"What are a couple of Abyssinians doing on this ship?" I questioned them, still holding onto the back of this 'Chummer' fellow. "You're a long way from home, fellas!"

"Lemme down ya palooka!" Chummer seems to resist, not answering my question.

The orange feline looks to be raising his paws to keep the peace. "Please! Let him go!" He begs of me, the tone never sounding like he was demanding.

"They must have stowed away after the Storm King attacked their home." Strife assumes. Being that these treasures were straight out from the capital of Panthera itself, I can rest assure myself that he was correct.

"Is that so?" I pressed my beak onto Chummer's nostrils, the tone of my voice almost intimidating, even for his other friend. "Well, I've no use for stowaways..."

He seems to gulp for a moment, swallowing down spit. He seems nervous that I'm going to toss them off the ship instantly. His other friend also seems to look worried about that as well. But being that they seemed young as me, I don't want to take that chance. They seem quite innocent and even far from home, unable to find their way back.

Something else could work for them though...

A smile beams onto my face and my voice of intimidation is gone. "...but I can always use two more crewmembers." The orange feline behin him seems to sigh in relief, knowing that as well as I do, that I have a good heart when I need to show it. "You two need a bath and some food, am I right?"

"Uh..." Chummer seems to stutter for a moment, unable to answer.

"Yeah!" His friend speaks out his answer.

"Excellent," I responded to him, quite impressed with speaking out when his other friend couldn't there. I place the white and gray tabby back onto the deck floor. "Now, as he said before - he's Chummer. What about you though? What is your name?"

He looks to be grateful. "I'm Capper!" He introduces himself.

"Very nice," I too was impressed with that name as well. I decided to give the kind order as I promised I would. "Head up to the main ship - I'll be along shortly."

"Yes, Captain!" Chummer responds gleefully.

Capper too seems happy as well. "Y-yes!" He says, taking the same rope as his friend and swinging to the next ship across.

Strife though... his dark hands appear to be on his chin. He's thinking about what just happened there, along with why I was generous enough by the look on his mysterious face. "Why are you doing this?" He questions.

I turn around and look at him. "These kids are far from home, without a friend in the world," I tell him of my concerns about them. Even by their smell, I'm guessing they grew up on the homes "Who else is going to look after them?"

Strife too seems concerned, as from as far as he knew - they snuck onto one of the properties of the Storm legion. "But it is not your responsi..."

We appear to be surrounded in darkness and even that caught us off-guard, with only our bodies illuminated in purple. Everything except the wind seems to grow quiet, other than my breath when I study this kind of weather and cloud.

"...What is this darkness?" Strife questions to me, surprised.

"A storm?" I questioned... that is until I turn another direction towards the open hole unveiling the night sky. "No..."

From the uncovering of the cloud, and the showing of numerous lightning bolts in the sky, I can see the large figure crawling out into view. No... how did... That symbol on the top of the ship, and approaching towards the side of the main ship. "Oh, no..." I can only find myself to respond as the Storm King's flag-ship was in eyesight.

"The Storm King!" Strife looks to warn the rest of the crew. "We must flee!"

"The crew!" I sounded a bit panicked as I go straight for the rope and begin making my swing across to the main ship.

"My treasure!" Strife panics as well, flying across the sky at my side.

Lix looks to be panicked. "They've got harpoons, Captain!" She warns us as our feet land on the deck.

I caught the glimpse of their black harpoon being inserted into their cannons, and felt the ship rock as soon as one was fired out. Ropes are attached to us from the flag-ship, and our crew surrounded by what looks to be army-ready... they seemed ready for a fight.

We still might have the possibility of escaping, so I think of a chance there. "Get us moving, Mullet!" I ordered in desperation.

"I'm trying!" He calls out, unable to move the wheel. "I think they've speared our rudder!"

"We're caught!" I can hear another one of my crew-mates call out.

The iron plank is drawn out towards our ship, connecting theirs with ours. I ordered my crew to draw their swords and begin fighting back in resistance as a swarm of the Storm minions came past our defense, knocking the crew down, and holding them in place by their own spears. Some are gripped by their own large hands and held back from fighting more.

I grabbed my blade, charging towards a minion and clashing my steel with their black wood spears. This minion knew I was coming and I didn't expect to see the back of the spear strike me in the stomach. Another minion of course grips onto me.

I began struggling for the minion to release me as once, but their arctic blue eyes behind their masks keep me held tight. I can't even find myself to reach my own blade that had fallen to the floor. One other minion, kicks it across the floor to the end of the deck, leaving me without a plan and with no weapon to fight with.

 _Clomp! Clomp!_

The sounds of the iron plank can be heard as the crew too are struggling to be free for another fight, others unable to due to spears pointing at them. However, my attention is drawn to the iron plank as I can see those recognizable feet as told in the description of the picture of who was most feared. His snow white fur above the gray feet, and his white tail swaying in the wind.

"So..." I began to look up from the grasp the minion had on me, seeing his blackened armor with the arctic blue symbol on it... just the same as his eyes. His crown was wide and even the appearance did show me that I was looking at the eyes of who was most feared, even in these skies. He doesn't look impressed. "...that was a short-lived escape, huh?"

"Storm King..." I can hear Strife say as he comes forward by a few feet across from me. Even the sound of his name, gives me the chills.

With his name called out, the Storm King drew forward off from the iron plank and towards the cloud who had been his second-in-command. He still holds a look on his face that he is not impressed in the slightest. "You... completed your repairs sooner than I expected." Strife admits to him. "I suppose I am to be punished."

The response to his statement on punishment... I didn't expect the Storm King to grip onto him and have him thrown off with a whisk of force by even a flick of a finger, sending the dark cloud flying off into the infinite night skies. That alone made me silently gasp, placing my hand onto my beak. Better not try anything else for now, otherwise that could be me sharing the same fate as him.

"I listened to him talk, once." He brushes his own hands clean. "Look where it got me."

He turns around and looks at me, then to his minion to release me which his minion obeys. I felt the pressure be released from me as he put his arms off of me. The Storm King takes my left hand. "But enough about him! Let's talk about you and your crew." He says to me, bending down his head and kissing my hand. "You are the captain right?"

"My name is Celaeno," I said, my tongue sticking out a bit with disgust when he kissed my hand. Not to mention I felt really uncomfortable with him doing that.

"Captain Celaeno! That's fine! That's perfect..." He says, turning around and placing his hand onto his chin. "Now, you and your crew did steal from me. But you did a darn good job of it."

What's he trying to say? He's thinking about something, but I can't quite put my own finger on it as to what it is.

"I can respect that kind of skill, Captain," He says to me, turning around with some smart business-like look on his own face and smile, pointing at me with both hands. "I'd like to offer you a job." The crew-mate of mine behind him looks to be surprised from his words as well as one of the minions as well, but even he won't say anything.

"...A job?" I was almost frozen in shock and surprise.

He moves to the side, placing his arm around me as he begins to explain why he would offer me something like that. An offering is something that normally cannot be refused, but even with me being frozen there, I can still hear him. "A position! An opportunity!" He exclaims proudly to me, like a son or daughter being offered a reward from a father or mother. "After the unexpected departure of my right-hand creature... well, I've got an opening. I'd like you to fill that role."

"Me?!"

"Sure!" He says proudly to me. "Plotting invasions, organizing the fleet..." His face and tone appears to drop though, sounding like something bad was going to be said by him. "Of course... your own crew will have to go." I was filled with anger and disgust for the fact that he wants me to get rid of my crew, turning me to anger. "I need new cargo haulers, for one."

I removed myself from his grasp. "Leave my crew?!" I was in uproar with even the sounds of my crew gasping in horror that he would even offer that job to me. How dare he! I would never leave my own crew, considering that they are family to me. "Never!"

A frown finally appears on his face when I pointed a finger at him, having placed it on his chest when I resisted. He still looks to have a different idea though. "Well, then perhaps-"

"Sir!" The voice of a minion calls out to him, catching his attention. When I turned, the minion seems to be pointing at a lone ship flying off that we captured before. "One of the ships is escaping!"

" **WHAT?!** Harpoon them now!" The Storm King sounds enraged as he points at the ship and gives him the order.

The ship though... my crew are all on this ship gathered and captured... no... the kids! The minion grips onto a black harpoon and takes aim at the ship, covering the back of it with rope.

"Yes, sir!" The minion obeys, ready to release it at any given moment.

I ran forward and swipe the harpoon from his hands though. "NO!" I shouted as I gripped onto it and used it as a weapon to keep him back should he try to get it back from me. He stands his ground though.

My only response instead of fighting back was tossing the harpoon overboard as the ship flew off into the distance, merely laughing in the failure of the minions' attempt to gather more prisoners for the Storm King. I was in relief to see that both Capper and Chummer will be safe... at least until a gray hand grabbed me by the throat.

I couldn't get any air to breathe for that moment when I was turned around to face the Storm King himself. I have angered him much further, and even he had begun to speak to me in his now-scary voice.

"Congratulations, Captain," He says to me, furious and with his other hand clenched in a fist. "You helped one ship... escape my grasp."

He drew me closer towards his face, still gripping onto my neck. One of my crew-mates tries to fight back to protect me, but is knocked to the floor with spears pointing behind him. My beak is pressed up to the Storm King's nose as those arctic blue eyes filled with the same wrath stare me down.

"If you're so devoted to your crew...I suppose you should be allowed to stay together," He speaks to me, his tone lowering further and brows displaying his emotion. "Like I said...I always need more cargo haulers."

I can hear his other hand snap a finger, silence drawing down once again as I can hear the iron plank again being covered with the sound of footsteps. Something seems off about these footsteps though, as they sound... heavier. I try to turn my head, but I cannot see who is coming.

Thankfully even in the Storm King's wrath, he turns me around to see who was coming right behind us and was approaching. When I finally saw the figure, I was unable to gasp... but I was frightened by the slightest for the figure's appearance.

He looks almost as tall as the Storm King himself, but is slightly more shorter than the appearance. His armor was black with blue linings in them as they were heavy and look like steel, just like the blades we had. He has wings behind his back, but they maintain a tone of dark gray to them. His facial appearance though... his eyes just like the Storm King and his minions are arctic blue, and his hair looks to be shoulder-length down and in the color of coal black.

...It's a human. I thought they were only a myth... at least, until I have now seen one with my own red eyes, but being that he was working with the Storm legion terrified me.

"You called for me, Storm King?" The human speaks to him, expressing question in the tone of his voice.

"That I did, in fact..." He responds to the human. "Celaeno, meet my servant. He goes by the name of: Takeo."

As the human approached towards me with one open hand, I can only gulp - aware of what was going to happen next under the imprisonment of the Storm legion. I, Captain Celaeno and the pirates... prisoners and cargo haulers for the yeti-satyr himself...

* * *

 **Capper's POV**

I can only look ahead at the distant two ships, as I saw that the flag-ship of the Storm King hadn't moved at all to go after us. One of the Storm minions did raise a harpoon to get us, but I don't know what happened since I was too focused on having Chummer steer at the wheel to get us away.

"They missed!" I announced to him with a smile and turning around to join him. "We made it, Chummer!"

He takes off one paw from the wheel and uses it to high-five me. "Yeah!" He says to me with relief that they hadn't been caught. "I'm tellin' you, pal..."

I turn my green colored cat eyes to the front of the ship, looking ahead at the night-time horizon. It would be morning in a couple of hours, so we don't really know which direction we're going. Maybe north-west... east? I'm not really sure, but at this point I don't care at the moment, only listening to Chummer speak.

"...We've got nothin' but blue skies ahead!"


	4. Origin - Capper

" **CHUMMER!** "

The sound of my voice calling out to him with alarm is enough to awaken him from his slumber. He springs up from the nearby crate filled with all sorts of raw food, not even us ourselves can eat it.

You're probably wondering why I needed to wake him up so urgently? If you're wondering, it's because I woke up to see that the ship was floating slowly downward. I needed to wake him up and get us up back in a neutral level. By the time he has seen how high in level we were, he rushes to the wheel.

By the side of the ship, I can feel a rumble. One of the canyons have striked at the hull and made a tear into the hull. Every barrel, crate and cannonball on the deck begins to slide to the end of the side deck, some flying off towards the sands below. Chummer runs straight to the wheel, taking a firm grip onto it.

"Chummer, we're sailin' too low!"

"I know Capper, I know!" He responds to me as he is using all his strength to keep the wheel upward. "I'm-" He looks to be struggling with it. "-tryin' to keep us upright!"

He lets out a scream as the wheel given more strength, throwing my friend off and away from it. It continues to spin around, the ship dipping down further towards the sands. I narrowly had to avoid a sliding crate from hitting me when I ran upwards to Chummer. I can feel the deck attempting to slope me down to the front.

From there, I was almost shocked when the two hands who I recognized as my friend gripped onto me, hugging me rather tightly in panic as even I was as well.

"We're gonna crash!" I scream in terror as the ship is almost there to the dunes.

"Hang on!" was the final advice he gives me before the large impact, that I didn't think would launch us off on our feet to the air.

 _CRASH!_

The next thing you know, we're buried in sand and even I've got a bit of that right in my mouth when we came through. The vision though is black since my eyes were closed. Only the sounds of the balloon that kept the ship afloat deflating are heard along with the sound of the quiet wind across the sands.

Then... silence.

Movement is heard though from above, but is muffled by the sand in my ears. It sounds like Chummer is coughing out the sands he had stuffed into his mouth. Then comes his footsteps from the left. I can feel his paws gripping onto the both of my legs and are trying to pull them.

"Don't worry Capper, I'll get you out from there!" He tells me, his voice sounding muffled as he is pulling me out.

As I felt myself being pulled, I can feel myself move upwards. My face is not any longer touching any of the sands and then comes the smell of air. I opened my eyes once again, letting my vision clear up... seeing Chummer there in front of me once again. I get up onto the both of my feet, taking in the smell of fresh air.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and looks at me. "You all right, Capper?" He asked.

"I..." I took in some breathes and out before finally getting the chance to speak. "I think so. We'll never get the ship flying again, though."

All he can do is smile though. "It's okay Capper," He tells me with assurance. "We still got each other, don't we?" That statement alone, makes me agree and place a smile onto my own face even when he takes his hand off my shoulder.

"C'mon!" He finally moves towards the wrecked ship as soon as the dust settled. There was only the ruins by the look of it as well as some bags. "Maybe there's something we can use in the wreckage!"

I had a better suggestion though, thinking of the past recent events before the crash. "We should get going, Chummer... We need to find somewhere to hide, and some food!" Hiding made sense because we never knew if the Storm army was still looking for their ship with us included. Let alone make us prisoners like the Captain we met hours ago. (Hopefully she made it out okay...)

Chummer though, doesn't hear my suggestion as he peeks and looks around in the hull of the wreckage, waving his kitty butt in front of me. Kind of awkward you could say... "Yeah, but you never know what you're gonna-" He was saying to me while on the look-out in there. I paid half-attention to him as my green eyes caught onto a set of white robes just for me and him.

"Hey now!"

I turn and see him crawling out backwards, and he appears to be holding some jewel with black chains in his left hand. It's green glow illuminates in the sunlight, but if it was night-time - I was sure it would give us more light. "Look at this!" He says to me, watching the shine inside of the jewel as I approach him with robes. "It's gotta be worth something, don't cha think?" He finally asked me.

I said nothing as he takes the white robes I offered to him. He turns and sees a dark blue bag fit enough for it to stay in. "Maybe we could trade it for something!" He suggested to me as he takes the bag and puts the strange jewel inside.

Exhaling a sigh and putting on my robes, I respond to him. "Sure, Chummer. Now... can we get going?"

He places his robes on him to protect him from the heat of the dunes, and slides the bag over his shoulder. "Yeah..." He takes to my suggestion, going in a different direction that would lead us away from the wreckage. Stay any longer and the Storm army will be coming for us or whatever is here.

Even as we walk away, our feet treading through the desert can't put aside my thoughts and worries of the Storm King. "Don't worry Capper..." I can hear Chummer say to me, as we move towards the unknown. "A coupl' a cats like us will always land on our feet!"

By the time I turn around to see the wreckage one last time, we are already distant from it. Oh well, best keeping moving...

* * *

We continued to move through the desert as the sun rose high above in the sky to signal that it was the afternoon, and even with these robes on us - the heat is just killer. Worse is when we have this fur to absorb the heat. Our legs were beginning to tire, and we were without water for the walk.

No... I can't stand the fact that we don't have any water to drink on us. Without it, it could less than a day, possibly two until our fate is dehydration. Our tongues are practically sticking out in thirst for that kind of liquid. Not the traditional Abyssinian wines that was normally shared in the royal class as it was already bad enough. But I was feeling like I was going to collapse at any given second now.

I panted by each step I took next to Chummer. "I don't... know... how much farther... I can go..." I admitted, sounding tired and thirsty as ever before.

"C'mon... Capper..." He tries to sway me, but sounding just like me with a desire for thirst in his voice. "Just... one more... dune..."

We continue over one of the small hills, my legs nearly giving out and on the verge of me fainting as many do when they do not have enough to drink. I've seen it before in Panthera, the low-class heading to the tavern and going out later... stumbling on their feet until they passed out. That alone gave me and Chummer the opportunity to take for our gain, but this was different in regards of fainting. Natural causes, you could say.

"Maybe... we should've... stayed... in Abyssinia..." He tiredly suggested to me, still gripping onto the bag that held the jewel inside.

From over the hill, I thought it was a mirage at first... it almost looked like a canyon at first. No... there's more smoke coming from there. As well as a ship port on it's end to the left. A windmill in the distance as well. Please tell me that I am not being tricked at all, because I believe it's a town of some sort.

"Wait..." I admitted, lifting a bit from my tired and thirsty voice. "Hey, over... over there! I think it's... it's a town!"

The dust that blew by in the dunes is behind us as we can see one of the floating ships make a stop at the port. Probably making the delivery of imports whether its from what remains in Abyssinia or the nearby neighbour Equestria. Maybe the Zebra Kingdom or Griffon Empire? I don't even know at this point. What matters more is that I found a town where there is possible resources.

"Whoa..." I can hear Chummer in awe as I look ahead to the town. "Looks grim."

I moved forward, turning for a moment and signalling him to follow me. "C'mon!" There is no hesistation as we make our way towards the cliffside metropolis. I was already unaware for what would await us inside, but if any... could be our new temporary home if possible.

The gates don't seem guarded at all with only a pack of young child-like creatures running about and playing tag there. One griffon is fighting for a pack of apples from a group of other beings, but I don't want to break up the fight. Last thing I want is a scratch across the face that's quite bloody.

Past the gates, we could immediately find ourselves in some sort of marketplace. Well, at least what it looks like back in Panthera, our hometown. There were many booths set up selling a variety of items and foods galore, even broken trinkets for those who didn't plan to ask for more. Aside from the griffons, a few species caught our eye like the Diamond Dogs that are hard to come by... I swear I saw a few Reptile creatures at the booths as well, purchasing or selling away for money.

"Fruits! Getcher weird, exotic fruits here!" One shopkeeper carrying a pineapple calls out, his appearance of that resembled a turtle.

Another shopkeeper with these unknown figures also cries out. "Strange trinkets!" Can't say I haven't seen anything there of interest when me and Chummer were passing by. Not much worth there either for the taking...

"Rugs!" I can hear another voice cry out. Nope, rugs won't do either.

I look around at the marketplace, watching all the busy shoppers come and go with loads of fruit, vegetables outside from this desert. Some purchasing furniture for their own home here in this vast metropolis. A few of them turn an eye towards us, as if we are complete strangers here to their world.

"What is this place, Chummer?" I asked my friend right next to me, probably wondering about the same thing as I.

"I dunno..." He answers my question, sounding quite unsure of where we even were. "But I think it looks interesting-"

His attention was drawn away when he saw a green hand in what looks to be almost like the color of celery grabbing at the bag, containing the jewel we found. "Hey!" He shouts at the being who looked to have wanted to either take a peek at it or steal it. "Hands off!" He had to pull the bag away from the creature.

The robed creature grumbles in response and walks away, not uttering even a single word to neither me or him.

I was eager to know where this place was, and both of us were hungry while at it. I move over towards the fruit vendor, with Chummer following behind me and giving that creature we just saw... quite a dirty look if you ask me. After the alligator-like being with the older griffon moved away from there, I approach the vendor.

The shopkeeper looks to have a rough attitude judging by his shell, and his eyes just glare down at me based on his slightly higher size. "Hey mister! What's the name of this place?" I asked him out of curiosity.

"It's Klugetown!" He says to me with a kind of rude tone in his deepened voice. "And that's the only thing you'll get for free from me! Everything costs in Klugetown!" How rude...

Goodness me, neither I nor Chummer have any currency that could possibly work here so I don't think even us could afford the fruit... wait! I have a clever idea just even after the shopkeeper answered my question.

He didn't notice, but I place my right hand onto one of the apples, and intended on making a distraction as there is water-like material in that kind of fruit. Enough to quench our thirst. "Well," I began picturing a being running away after having robbed him. "What about that guy that just took that fruit?" I asked him, pointing in the direction ahead.

"WHAT?!" The shopkeeper became enraged when he turned around in that direction. "Nobody steals from me!"

He proceeded to grab a broom from the wall behind him, leaving his vendor to go after the alleged thief that I made up about. He's not looking, so I took an opportunity to steal two apples. One for me, and the other for Chummer. He was out of sight at last, and we began to walk away in a different direction away from the vendor should he come back.

"Klugetown is going to take some getting used to..." Chummer admits to me, then proceeding to chomp down on the apple. A look of satisfaction crosses onto his face.

I could only just smirk, as my green cat eyes caught onto the sight of the windmill, its wheel not spinning even once. It gave me an idea for a temporary home for the both of us. "I like it already!"

* * *

"You sure it's empty, Capper?"

"Looks that way!" I admitted to him as I could see that there was no one home inside of the windmill house.

It took some persuasion to convince my friend to come with me up there once we had finished our small apples. Of course, it's a small treat but not enough to consider it dinner. We had no money, and even when this building was abandoned - we had nothing here. I enter the building with him behind me, as I can see the result.

"Though it looks a little cluttered..." I admitted, seeing all of the spider webs, cardboard boxes and covered materials in here. There are ropes as well, above us. Not really much of a decoration, but it feels a bit off in here.

"Are you kidding?" Chummer tells me, looking probably at the size of the place. "It's perfect! Just needs a quick cleaning, that's all! Then it'll be our place!"

We proceeded to take off our white robes that we got from the wreckage and place them down onto the floor. It's a bit messy there, but it'll be clean later as it'll be part of our 'laundry' as the upper class in Panthera called them.

I exhale a sigh as I sat down on the upside-down cardboard box with a bored yet tired expression on my face. Both of my hands are placed onto my cheeks. "I wish we were back in Abyssinia," I admitted out loud to myself, though I am sure Chummer is listening to every word I am saying. "I'm tired of running..."

"Aw, c'mon, Capper!" He looks like he needed to get my hopes up once again. "We were orphans on the street back in Abyssinia, too- Same as we are here!" I was beginning to have brief flashbacks of me and him running through the streets laughing as children, escaping from a raging shop owner, whilst stealing his fish and holding both bread and bottles of milk at the exact same time. "Remember running through the market stalls? Remember outwitting the guards and stealing what we needed? We've done it before, and we could do it again!"

The flashbacks for me ended as I look down to examine my hand. "Yeah, but how long do we have to do it?" I asked him, still sounding a bit down. "I don't want to be a thief forever. I just want to find a place where we can just... be."

I can feel two hands on my shoulders as I knew it was him right behind me. "Hey, c'mon buddy," He says to me with a happy tone in his voice. "Long as we got each other, we can make it anywhere."

That statement alone is enough to put a smile on my face, and even I felt my spirits lift up. He does prove a point after all. He releases his one hand from my right shoulder, gripping onto something leather which I figure is the bag we stored the jewel.

"And hey!" He admits to me, digging out the jewel from inside the bag. It's green illumination shines brightly for the both of us as I study it. "We might not have to steal, if we can sell this thing! Just look at it! It's probably magic too!" He studies it as well with amazement.

"I'm tellin' you, Capper. This thing is our good luck charm!"

* * *

For the past few days, while we were we plotting on what we were going to do with this green jewel - we resorted back to the old ways as we did in Panthera, our old home. Chummer still held onto the old tricks as well as I, and we had to gather enough food and money in order to survive here. Our best chance from here in Klugetown was to steal, and not get caught.

We performed all kinds of tricks and moves in order to gather enough of that such as when Chummer was showing a card trick to one of the shopkeepers that was that of what looks like a vulture. He kept himself distracted when I used my tail to pull myself down and grab onto a loaf of bread and reel myself back up when the shopkeeper finally saw what wonders the trick was, congratulating my friend for the entertainment.

All around town we went, crawling underneath moving travellers and citizens - taking from their pockets and taking their own pouchs at the same time. More tricks are made with Chummer being the one to show the tricks, as he's more talented at that skill than I. For me, it's more based pickpocketing. Neither of us have learned about lockpicking, but that was tough enough even for us.

Decorations for the house are splendid as we found unused and ripped fabrics to use as curtains for the window, in the garbage cans. While the curtains remain closed each and every night, we would dig through the golden coins or bits as Equestrians call them - laughing away at the fortunes these people had in town.

I did have my suspicions though as sometimes in the shadows of an alley, there would be a pair of eyes from there. It would disappear every time I try to take a look, but I can sense something was wrong... by the appearance in the dark looked a bit tall, yet angry. I felt someone was watching us, and I think to myself that it could be a goon. Could be the only one, or could be more...

"And dinner is served!" Chummer's voice says to me, snapping me out of my thoughts as he looks at our plates. We had just wrapped up on our dinner for the night, for it was only fish, bread and a half-cut lemon on our plates. "Bone... appetit!"

"This is all you could get?" I asked him, looking at him as he patted his filled stomach full of raw fish.

"Yeah..." He says to me, the moon high above and shining down on both of us aside from the candlelight. "Things are expensive, and we haven't been able to make that much." He could only sigh and rest his head onto his right hand, formed into something like a fist, but more solely a pillow as he stares down with an almost annoyed expression, exhaling a long, yet tired sigh. "Klugetown is merciless. How are two street-smart, loveable urchins supposed to make it her on their own?"

"Plus, I think we're attracting attention," I admitted, placing my fingers onto my chin. Even so, still remembering the shadow of someone eyeing us. "Have you noticed a figure... a goon possibly, in the shadows watching us?"

I can hear chewing for a moment, so I turn around to see Chummer gnawing on the fish bones. "Yeah." He responded, spitting out the bones when I turned to look at him.

"We can't be the only thieves in this town," I take my fingers away from my chin and my expression looked to study the situation we were in. If there's someone watching us, there's got to be the one thing that watches everything well. "There's got to be someone running this place."

Chummer places his hands onto the clothed table while I look at the floor, thinking about the consequences of trouble we could be in if this continued. "You want to work for someone? A crime boss?" He sounded like I was going to betray him or something.

"Not quite!" I gave him some assurance, but I still had my thoughts on that figure by even a glimpse. "The way I see it, we need resources and we need to leave..."

The shine from the jewel across the room caught our attention. We both turn and see sitting there, out from the blue open bag and exposing its surface as another idea was crossing into my head. What if we can convince whoever runs this place to take it off our hands, so we can leave Klugetown together? ...Good thinking, Capper.

And I talked to myself again... thankfully in my mind because it would confuse Chummer and get him to ask what I am talking about. He should understand why after a good explanation.

"...And I think there's a way to get both at once!"

* * *

"Did you see their faces?" I laughed as me and Chummer begin to walk away from the entertainment district of town.

He too is laughing from seeing the act we just pulled off to a few griffon shopkeepers with the false products we were completely making up to them, and they totally believed it. They ended up buying something that was broken for a load of money... and we completely ran off with that as soon as they noticed something funny about it.

"I know!" Chummer laughed with a smile on his face. "I can't believe we pulled that off!"

On the wooden posts, there were papers on them that I noticed as we were moving ahead. One was a wanted poster of some sharp teethed thing from Equestria, with a crooked jagged horn in its descriptive drawing.

Equestria... neither I nor Chummer have ever gone there before, but from the whispers of the other felines in Panthera, I only heard the rumors there. Something about a different being there as tall as probably me... maybe taller? Not sure. If taller, I'd probably reach up to his neck since they told of his height. If I was to ever meet him, I'm sure everything will sort itself out on the description I pictured.

Next to the wanted poster though was a warning that caught my attention. " _Beware of Cat Burglars_ " is what the headline said. Someone is probably already aware and decided to tell on us for doing these things. No picture though to my relief, so there is no general description on who they are.

"These Klugetown rubes wouldn't recognize a scam if they..." He continued for a moment before pausing. I was wondering why he exactly had stopped speaking for a moment. I turn my head towards him, but stopped when I saw coming out from the shadows of an alleyway, a figure that probably was following us...

...It's one of those that I was just thinking about. This figure that I was looking at had legs like any other creature, but was more based by its skin tone being almost tanned. It looks to be covered up though with black fancy-like shoes and socks whilst wearing black pants with a coal colored suit. He isn't wearing a hat, so his short blonde hair is exposed for the both of us to see. His eyes are in the color of green, kind of like mine. The only exception though is that it was more lighter in tone.

This wasn't an ordinary creature that can be seen in any part of Equus... this was a human. I'm not sure where they came from, but it's all a mystery to me. He looks slightly taller than us... ha! I was right! I really am up to their necks after all!

"...stepped in it?" Chummer finishes the sentence, almost confused for a moment.

Neither of us know what to say when he was approaching us with a serious look upon his face, almost as if we committed a crime... oh yeah... the scams. He looks rather angry, but has this attitude that he will do what must be done, no matter the cost.

"You two thieves," He spoke to us. His accent sounds rather different, but to our surprise, he doesn't even sound that angry when he spoke with us both. He moves behind us. "Come with me, please."

I made no resistance and neither did Chummer unlike what he did when we were first introduced to Celaeno by what seemed to be... a few days ago? I'm not even sure what day it is anymore. He grabbed both me and my friend from behind, by our fur and began to carry us off to a building that was a couple of streets down from where we were.

Two tough-looking mole rats standing on their two feet, stood right there at the wooden door... like some sort of crime lord lived in there and this was all part of a catnapping or something... no, Capper. This isn't a time to panic since the human or the other two haven't threatened us yet.

One of them opens up the door and we entered into the room from the outdoors. Pressure is building up on our backs from the human hands gripping onto us, and needless to say it is quite uncomfortable.

Looks like a studying room inside, the kind you would see where the philosophers in Panthera would go to write down some details they thought of, ensuring that they would show it to their other pals that were interested in the same thing. Most of them are in the rich class though, so we couldn't care less about what the details were. Other than that, there is a sign on the desk that was called 'The Boss'.

I can feel my butt being slammed down onto a chair with a thunk while Chummer landed flat onto another chair next to me. "Sir, I found the two that you've been keeping an eye on." I can hear the human speak behind us towards the chair that looks to have been turned around. Probably going to surprise us in a way.

"Excellent work, Jack. You may go on your lunch, and take as long as you want." We can hear another voice speak, though it came from the chair.

"Thanks sir!" We hear the human called Jack as his footsteps move off the carpet below us and out the door. There is a sound of it being shut, and then the chair turns around. Only us and whoever this 'boss' is.

Didn't see it coming either, but it's another mole-rat that features a top hat on his head and is wearing glasses along with that fancy suit of his. "So..." He leans down on the desk and clenches his hands together. "...You boys have been pretty busy in my town."

The both of us can only gulp as his dotted eyes in the glasses are staring at the both of us. Clearly, we shouldn't make any mistakes or try and run away. It could risk us probably getting killed... maybe. You never know! He takes his hands off from the table and raises his right hand, pointing an index finger upward. "My name's Verko," He introduced himself. "I own Klugetown. Every lowlife, knave and villain who ever picked a pocket here answers to me."

Just when I thought all seems well when seeing his right arm lowering back to the desk, he raised his left hand, pointing directly at us. There is a bit of a glare by the look in his eyes. "Except for you too," He continues. "You two think you can just waltz into Klugetown and start robbing everybody?" He lowers his hand, turning in his chair and getting up off from there. "Two cats can't make it out on the streets." He finished, sounding rather strict about that - just as we heard it many times.

"Actually, Mr. Verko," I finally spoke to him, putting on this clever smile and turning my eyes to Chummer for a moment. "We don't want to be in Klugetown either, and with your help, we can leave and be out of your hair forever." Chummer puts a smile on his face rather impressed with my choice of words.

"Me? Help you?" He asked, his hands behind his back as he moves between the telescope and the desk in question. "And what do I get out of it? Everything costs in Klugetown."

"Well, for starters, you'd be helping two poor, innocent lost children escape this hive of thievery and villainy... but you'll also get a lot more." I kept myself seated as I cross the both of my arms. "Take a look at the windmill, won't you?"

Verko moves towards the telescope and begins adjusting it. "And what am I looking for?" He asked me.

"A small, shiny prize." I confirmed. Chummer continues to smirk at me as I was telling him the description of the jewel as we recalled hanging it outside by there. "We've got a gem to sell, y'see," I offered to him. "And before you get any tricky ideas, look where it is. Your big strong henchmen would be too heavy to cross the plank! Not even your human bodyguard could get it either!"

He paused for a moment, as we could see only shock on his face. Not sure if he went blind or something by the illusion the jewel created... but it must have also crossed with a look of surprise. "That gem?!" He responded in that same tone as his expression. "You're selling it?"

"Sure!" I said to him as I share a smile with Chummer. "We figure it's worth a few copper pennies or so..."

" **COPPER PENNIES?!** " Verko sounded quite outraged to hear how low standard that it sounded from our offer. But hey, we've been living here for a while where the currency is quite low, so it would make sense to ask that, right? " **ARE YOU NUTS, KID? THAT'S THE MISFORTUNE MALACHITE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT GEM IS WORTH?!** "

"Well, we didn't- but it seems like you think it's a lot!" I said to him, remaining quite calm while I pointed at him with a smart look on my face.

He is quite speechless for a moment, but manages to get himself under control. "All right, kid. It's a lot..." He says as he turns towards the window and past the telescope. I can see his reflection from the window. "But it's not just about the money. That gem is cursed, they say. It's toppled empires and started wars."

The curtain on the left side is pushed to the side by his hand as he observes all of Klugetown from there. "I buy it from you... I'm risking my neck. That gem could ruin me, put me out of business... forever."

He paused for a moment there, but turns around to look at us with quite a smile on his face. "But, I mean, it's really a lot. So... sure, I'll buy it."

"Really?" I asked him with joy flowing in my veins.

Chummer looks delighted. "Yeah!" He cheered.

"I know some dealers who would be happy to get such a treasure," Verko admitted, turning around and moving towards the front of the desk. Though he now looks to be a bit curious judging by the look on his face. "Of course that raises the question: How do two kids get ahold of a treasure of the Abyssinian Royal Family?"

Chummer kept his smirk, looking at me as he responded to the mole-rat. "It's a long story, Verko."

"So what do you boys want for the malachite? Because it's worth a lot more than just a ticket out of Klugetown."

Chummer looks to be overthrown by the offer and statement Verko shared with us, especially when he leans back on his desk and crosses his arms. I have amusement on my face when he gave us this offer of anything we wanted for the worth of the gem. "Huh?"

"That gem is worth plenty. I can get you your own airship with all the trimmings for its price. So... how much?"

Ideas for our ship began running through our heads on how we were picturing the skyship, and we almost were quite reminded of Celaeno and her crew that inspired us to draw out and speak our minds to Verko. Seeing the money signs in Chummer's eyes really gave it off as well when began to almost sound excited by how loud the volume of our voices were.

"A skyship!" I shouted quite excitedly.

"Fully loaded! With cannons!" Chummer followed afterwards, shaking with great joy.

"And- and clothes! Uniforms!"

"Cutlasses and compasses!"

"Maps and globes!"

"Everything a pirate needs!"

* * *

 **That night...**

The moon was at the crescent period past the Eastern horizon as me and Chummer lie down in our own separate beds. A small candle is lit by Chummer's bed to keep things alit until it was time to rest.

The Misfortune Malachite is outside where it had been set up even before our deal with Verko, and it looks like it has turned out to be a success. We spent the rest of the day, celebrating with some of the money we previously stole to purchase our dinner which is... fish like usual. Everything a cat likes after all.

My bed and pillow is in a cardboard box, but it's better than nothing at all or the floor. Chummer's bed on the other hand is in a basket weaved in the color of turquoise. All the both of us, can just cuddle ourselves into our own blankets and stare up at the wooden ceiling in silence. At least until one of us breaks it with our voices.

"Hey, Capper?" I can hear Chummer question.

"Yeah, Chummer?"

"I keep thinking about what Verko said," He tells me, sounding a bit worried. "About how two cats can't make it, out on the streets. But the two of us, we've always been there for each other." He paused for a moment, letting the sounds of the night time ambience outside fill in the silence. "We wouldn't have gotten this far without each other. We need each other... don't we?"

I thought for a moment about the statement that Verko made. "Maybe Verko doesn't think that way," I said to him, even thinking about the tone of his voice when he said it. "Maybe he thinks... friends are a distraction. Maybe he thinks, if you're alone... you can be free."

"...Oh."

"Like, if you don't have to help anyone, or you don't rely on anyone... you only have to worry about yourself..." I turned over to the side in the bed and gripped onto the cardboard with my hand. "I don't like that. I like being with you, Chummer."

"Me too, Capper." He responds, looking at me.

He puts his arms around his back, continuing to stare up at the ceiling again. "When we leave Klugetown... where should we go next?"

"I don't know, Chummer." I said to him as I flop onto the other side with my chin on the pillow. I cross the both of my arms and lay my head above them, sounding a little tired from the day. "I don't want to keep running and stealing... I want to find a place where we can stop," I exhale a long sigh. "I want to find a home..."

There is silence for a moment between us again. Then from there came quite a jolly laugh from my friend. "What do we need a home for?" He chuckled lightly. "We got each other! We can keep stealing and livin' on the streets forever! It's what we're good at! Chummer an' Capper, best thieves in the land!" His chuckling grows weak and begins to sound tired again. "Yeah..."

I closed my eyes and snuggle my head to my pillow. "Yeah... but I'd rather just be Chummer an' Capper..." I said to him following by a small tired yawn. "...Friends."

When I finally closed my eyes and flipped myself to lie down on my back for rest, I knew it was time to call it a night before the big departure tomorrow. "Good night, Chummer." I told him one last time before letting myself drift off to sleep.

"G'night, Capper." I can hear Chummer say to me, followed by the sound of a candle being blown out to darken the room.

* * *

 **That morning...**

We almost ended up forgetting about the skyship by the time that we had our breakfast in the morning, especially when the rooster had finally crowed. Once we realized it, we began to pack our bags, filling it with supplies in the blue bags we had around our shoulders.

The Misfortune Malachite was off from the plank where we placed it, and we had it stuffed into one of our bags. I know that Chummer handed me the bag where they had the gem inside, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem when Verko asks for it in return of the ship. I'm actually looking forward to seeing the ship myself.

We ran past the side of the dock building, catching our breath when we stopped in front of Verko and his human bodyguard Jack. We don't know too much about him, and frankly we don't really care at this time.

The appearance of the skyship is what surprised us the most... The hull of the ship looks almost in appearance like a regular ship you'd see afloat in the skies, featuring square holes in them that were meant for firing cannonballs out. For the balloon on top, it was in a bright red toned color with supports in the color of coal black. Included that shield in front of it as well, and is rather unique that way.

Our jaws dropped when we looked at one another, and Verko looks to have quite an impressed smile on his face even with the crossed arms. "Well, boys?" He got our attention, and we ensured that our jaws weren't even dropped anymore. "Is it everything you wanted?"

Chummer's face turns to look at me from the side for a moment, but then turns back to look at the ship. "It's perfect, Mr. Verko!"

"Yeah!" I agreed alongside him. "It's everything two pirates could ask for!"

My friend moves towards the ladder made completely of rope, making his ascend upwards to the deck on top. The rope moving a bit by each step he took, until he paused halfway to turn and look at me.

"I'll go up and check it out," He offered to me. "Capper, when I give you the okay, give them the Malachite."

All I can do is smile and turn my eyes towards Verko who watches him going up on deck. "Right!" I responded to him, as he continues to climb the ladder.

"That skyship's nearly brand new, you know," Verko commented behind me to the right, getting himself ready for the Malachite we're going to give him. "Cost me a pretty penny from Judge Errant. So you boys had better make good use of it."

I turn to look at him, sounding satisfied in the tone of my voice when I pointed at him with a smile. "We will, Mr. Verko!"

Having seen Chummer go up on deck, he remained silent for quite a short amount of time. Perhaps he's quite busy looking at the architecture inside of the hull and at the cannons... ugh. I should ask how it looks nevertheless as we shouldn't waste more time. "How's it look, Chummer?" I called out to him, placing the side of my left hand near my mouth - almost sounding like a speaker. You know, like those things back in Panthera during a public event.

Only thing is... I didn't expect for the ladder to fall down from there. I was caught off-guard, but I could see Verko catching it in his own hands. I must have gone blank for a split moment when I saw it falling, but I could sense something was wrong.

"What's going on?" I sound quite alarmed, knowing that something was wrong if Chummer had cut the ropes.

Jack moves to the side, pointing up at the ship. "He cut the rope ladder!" He shouts at both me and Verko.

Now the Mole Rat himself was quite furious over this as he held the rope in his hands. He turns to look at me, the tone of his voice sounding quite angry. "What are you trying to pull, kid?" He signals Jack towards me, now having lost his cool. "Grab him! Grab the gem!"

I can feel myself getting grabbed from behind by Jack's left hand on the shoulder. "Wha- hey!" I was completely thrown back when I was held in place and couldn't resist, letting him grab onto the blue bag around my waist and digging into it.

He finally dug something out, and I was quick to turn around to see if it was the Misfortune Malachite... "It's just a rock!"

" **WHAT?** " I was drawn in complete surprise and total shock over what I was seeing in Jack's right hand. Just a typical stone that was sold in the shops of Klugetown without even a single glow to them... just dull itself - not even close to the Misfortune Malachite. Then that means that... CHUMMER!

"The other cat's pulling a scam! After him!" Jack yells at me from there as my eyesight turns towards the ship, already starting to move away from the skyport.

No hesitation inside, I began to sprint forward towards the loose rope that was dangling by the ship's side. The wood can be heard below my feet by each sprint I made. "Chummer, hold on! I'm coming!" I called out to him in panic.

I made the leap off from the dock, and latched myself onto the rope. "Chummer, please!" I called out to him, making my climb upwards and grunting in the struggle to get up on deck. "Wait!"

My hands move over the railing of the ship, and I can see Chummer standing there with his hands on the wheel. He looked absolutely panicked by the expression on his face as if he was in a hurry... which seemed to be true by my own fear. "Chummer, stop the ship! Please!" I begged to him.

" **NO!** " He shouts at me in even that panicked tone in his voice. He turns his light blue cat eyes to look at me as I hopped over the railing. "Verko was right! Two cats can't make it on their own!"

In a fast pace, I was walking towards Chummer in hopes of keeping him calm about this. Of all the times me and him were together on the streets of Panthera, he's never acted like this before. "But we could make it together!" I said to him.

"Get off!" He steers the wheel to the right. I can feel the ship move to the right, and myself beginning to slide right down onto my butt as he did so. To the left he turned the wheel, sounding quite angry. "You never wanted to be a thief!"

I fell onto my butt, hearing a smash on the deck. The lantern looks to have fell from the ropes above, setting the wood alit with flames that were slowly beginning its spread. As I slid down towards the railing on the left side of the ship, a red coat loosened from the boxes of clothes is set loose and becomes attached to my right leg, gripping on it.

Flung with force off from the deck, I had to make a firm grip to the railing - unwillingly to let go in denial of Chummer trying to leave me behind. I let out a surprised shout when I saw how far up from the surface I was.

Footsteps are heard up on the deck and I look up to see Chummer standing there with a morbid expression on his face. "Chummer," I called to him, struggling to hold on tight as my nails scratch the surface of the wooden railing. "Please! Help me!"

"You shouldn't have come after me, Capper!" He says to me, as the fire continued to spread more around the deck. "We could've been free! We could've lived our own lives! We don't need each other!"

"I need you!" I begged to him, feeling like I was going to let go and fall at any given moment to the ground below which looks really high up from here. "I need a friend!"

His white furred hand finally grabs onto my orange hand that was still holding on. I can feel pressure from there, and I wasn't sure if I was able to talk sense into him or if he wanted to stop. That is... until he spoke the final words to me. "You were going to leave me, Capper. So I'm leaving you first."

With the force of his hands, he threw me off from the railing. Everything seemed to go into slow motion as I can feel the wind blowing past me in the fall. I was flying downward in a way, the red coat from the ship still attached to my right leg and flapping about as I go distant and away from the ship, left alit and burning. Smoke is now seen as I can only lament silently of what was left in the friendship I had with him, that which he had abandoned.

Seconds of feeling nothing but the air felt like two minutes had slowly passed by, followed by the soft impact into something that was behind me. It feels a lot like... a mattress of some sort. Guess I had only a small amount of luck right there, but I cannot take my eyes off from the smoke as I can hear the sound of footsteps running towards my location.

"What has he done?!" I can hear Verko's voice filled with rage while I stuck in that position. Too struck in the moment that was to see that my friend... my only friend in the world had betrayed me. "Your idiot friend just stole from all of us!"

I began to slowly get up, taking the red coat off from my right leg. I move my back off from the foam rubber mattress - which seemed to be part of a wholesale convention. Aside from the shock, I can hear Verko practically screaming at me. "Now I'm out the gem, the ship, the supplies- the way that ship is burning, it won't even make it out of the desert! I'm out two fortunes, and you're the only one left to blame!"

Realization had finally struck me on the inside, even when I had placed my hand onto my own chest. Chummer leaving me... his words of him framing me for trying to leave him when I wouldn't...

"...What?" I turned around to look at the mole rat boss himself, as he still looks enraged. I pick up the red coat that I had with me when falling from the ship above, not becoming distant. Its smoke trail still left there for the minutes to pass.

"I said..." Verko started up once again, his anger calm but still feeling quite that way. "...you friend has ruined us! He betrayed us both!"

My eyes took ahold of the red coat in my hands, as I look over it. Felt like leather, and it has a black patch on its right side... hmm. Looks good, but I now can finally see it for what it really is. A reminder of what happened to this very day, and what shall not ever be repeated again from the betrayal.

"No... you're wrong." I exhaled a sigh and responded to Verko. He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't just find the words in him to let it out. He just places his hands in his pockets while his bodyguard Jack stands there and watches everything I am doing.

I became to put the coat on me, slipping my arms inside and fixing up the collar on it. A sharp glare began to appear on my face, turning my eyes towards the windmill that I stayed in. No thoughts of my friend were there as I begin to shut him out from my mind, forgetting the day that I ever met him.

What shocked Verko and Jack themselves is the words I bitterly mused to them and myself at the same time. "He was never my friend."

Neither of them dared to move after me, and I began walking away towards the windmill. Only the sounds of the wind and the back of the coat below it moving are the ones I hear. After all, to bury a past... you must sometimes forget that past even existed.

Klugetown, I believe it's time for a new Capper in town...


	5. Origin - Tempest Shadow

**Tempest's POV**

 _Dear journal: I have come so far... and yet still I have not found what I seek._

 _I can't remember how many moons it's been... since I left Equestria. My home._

 _I've seen so much, been to so many places... after I lost so much... and now I am far from Equestria... but never have I seen something like this._

I was trotting through the desert on that cold night outside. I had already left past the border in the Badlands to leave where I had grown up from, and it's been probably a good one or two days since I've been wandering the desert.

So many places, yes. The dragon lands to the east, is where I thought they would have the one thing I'd be looking for. They don't and every other place close to Equestria has no idea either, giving me the opportunity to search outward to distant places like the Zebra Empire should there be nothing out here.

My hoofprints are left in the sand for many seconds, the sands that move with the wind covering them up by a good thirty seconds. Pretty sure I'll be lost here, but I at least have supplies like water to keep me going. The hood from the shroud I wear keeps my face covered up to avoid sand in the eyes, as I've heard those can really sting at getting out.

In that distance, an orange glow seems to catch my eye. I take off the hood, exposing my face and the horn on my head, which is broken. I don't want to talk about what happened to my horn, of course... because it's quite a sensitive story that reminds me of my past.

A scar is also across the skin around my right eye. A reminder of the past as well, for which I do not want to speak of. I can only very much focus on the orange glow in the distance across the dunes. It's almost as if there is something there, a fire started for the sake of food itself being cooked.

To my own surprise, I can see that it looked like a fallen skyship that failed to even get across the desert, or if there was a fire that had accidentally started by how I studied it carefully...

"By the stars..." I commented as I observe around the area. There is wooden pieces around the wreckage, as well as a can of tuna right in front of me. Pawprints are seen coming from the ship and then fading off into the desert at night... looks like somepony had already left the wreckage behind, but wherever that one is going... probably won't make it alive in the conditions of the desert.

 _Something terrible happened here. I do not need magic to tell me that._

 _In a way, it's almost comforting... knowing that I am not the only one who has suffered loss._

 _Still, perhaps something useful remains... perhaps even something that might heal me._

My eyes observe the scattered items of wood below the wreckage, that of barrels and crates alike that probably store more of this tuna. If any, whoever it was really liked tuna that much... maybe it was an Abyssinian on the other side of Equus?

I move down below the top of the dune towards a part of the wreckage, the sand brushing by each step I took forward. Most of the wreckage around me looks to be those filled with tuna cans, and wooden bits galore. There are a few coats hanging about, but there's nothing much else by the looks of it.

A shine of green illuminating light said otherwise...

When I had turned to the side, there was this... shining sort of gem lying there in the sands among the wreckage. My direction changed from there as I was headed towards the item to examine it.

No sand bits seem to be covering the top of it, and it looks to be wearable by a black chain around it. Aside from that fact, I don't have a clue what it is. I pat my left front hoof down on the sand until I found the black chain.

"What is this...?" I look at it closely, immersed by its light.

Hmmm, if this is some sort of wearable jewelry - it would be something to keep around me. Whoever crashed here shouldn't be coming back for it any time soon. I wrapped it's black chain's around the neck, still giving myself to study about the green artifact itself. It does look good, even for the black chains that is included.

"Hey! You!"

I can hear somepony calling out to me, as a light was immediately flashed into my eyes from above. It was really surprisingly bright and out of nowhere, but I knew I had to shield them in order to find out who it was - trying to blind me.

"What?" I asked myself curiously as I had those hooves up to my eyes for a moment, but set them down when the light had shifted away. I look upwards into the sky for that direction that it originated from.

Is that... a skyship?!

"Get your hands offa that gem!" Whoever it is that is telling me that, it's not hands, they are hooves. Sigh... but nevertheless I am frozen in place as a rope comes flying downward from the ship. "That's the property of the Storm King!"

A ladder too also comes down from the ship, and by the rope I can see what looks to be small at first, but turns out to be this cute looking angry black-armored hedgehog sliding downwards to the sands below. Behind me on the ladder are two of these white furred brutes with spears in case I resist or something like that.

"Halt!" The hedgehog demanded as he huffed and puffed as he comes running upwards towards me. "Yer under arrest! That gem belongs to the Storm King!"

Onto his little head came my hoof, as he starts trying to swing at me. "Does it?" I responded to him with a bit of sarcasm in my voice. "He should've taken better care of it, then."

Growling was the first sign of response coming from the hedgehog himself as he struggled. The brutes behind him not falling too far behind. "Hand it over, lady! Or face the Storm King's wrath!" He's almost screaming at me. "That gem's got a lotta magic, and he needs it!"

I gasped for a moment upon hearing that word. "Magic...?" My sarcastic face then shifts towards a sneaky expression. "Then... if he wants it so badly..."

"...He can come and take it!" I shouted and released the hedgehog. With a sharp move, I kicked a load of sand in his direction to blind him of where I was headed off to. Don't care which direction, just got to get as far as I can from them.

However, I was completely blown to a different direction as I can see one of the brutes from before. With a spear in hand, he stops me right in my tracks from moving. Other footsteps are heard behind me, and I can catch the other brute behind me. I looked to be completely blocked from my escape and they didn't seem to move- unless I gave them this gem I'm wearing...

Despite my horn, I knew that it would still serve as big a purpose to make a getaway. I begin to channel magic towards my horn as it sparkled for a couple of moments, but unleashed a large drop of magic towards the sands, letting it spread about.

"What th' heck is this?!" I can hear the hedgehog shouting as he and the brutes back away.

Their shouts of confusion and demands of me to come back to them seem to grow distant, even as I didn't want to stay much longer near that wreckage. The longer I stay, the more likely I am going to be captured. The chains rattling around my neck by how fast I galloped, I had to leave... not caring where I was headed.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

I check the skies once again to see if there are any skyships right behind me... none. Good, I'm safe again. The sun looks to have become unbearable in this time again, having dropped my water supply back in the pursuit. Such a waste of that, and what's worse is that I can't go back to get it because these three from earlier might be waiting... or this Storm King.

I slip the gem into my cloak, as I can see a town coming up from the dune I ascended from. Looks to be quite tall itself, almost like a metropolis. Reminds me a bit of Manehattan if you ask me, but if it's different- there's got to be a name for this place...

Klugetown? Interesting... though it is strange with the rule list being "No Weapons, no square-dance calling..." but it makes sense since no changelings are allowed here from the Badlands.

 _Apparently I have incurred the wrath of this "Storm King", whoever he might be. But, more importantly..._

 _I have learned that this gem contains powerful magic. How powerful, I do not know... but perhaps it will be enough._

 _For now, I need information and quiet... and hopefully this "Klugetown" has at least one of those._

I began trotting forward past the gates where I could see a small group of older griffons, looting out from a shop as the shopkeeper that looks like a pig standing on two feet can do nothing but watch his store getting robbed. These griffons wore masks, so it was easy for them to make the perfect getaway.

The Food district is where I was headed off to, turning to the slight left down another street at the entrance. Not much else is interesting a sight on these streets, as it is only the passerbys that can only glance or give me dirty looks when I pass by them. A tortoise-like creature can only growl with mean spirits when my eyes turned to look at him... but only for a few slight moments.

When I finally entered the district, I can see a few of the stalls out. Shops outdoors to be exact, and they look to be selling all kinds of stuff for a big price. Not one pony is seen in the crowd, but all kinds that were probably originated from Abyssinia. At the stalls, they all call out what they are selling.

"Weird trinkets!" One calls out in advertising.

"Plot devices! Things!" At least two more voices had called out as I continued forward. There's a place by the end of the street called _The Hive_. Perhaps I could go and be able to think there.

"'Scuse me, Miss-" A deep voice grabs my attention. I turn my head up at the stall, and can see the reptile with a brown hood around his head speaking to me with question in the tone of his his rough voice. "You got any strange magical artifacts you wanna sell?"

"No," I responded to him uncomfortably. "Especially not to you."

The reptile was left there grumbling as I made my approach to the building itself, moving under the hung sign that moved left... right... left... right... in the wind above. Inside doesn't sound too busy, so I pushed my hoof past the swinging doors and enter inside.

 _This place is so strange... so unlike Equestria._

 _There's an air of fear and desperation here... as if they know something is approaching._

The counter at the front looks to be empty when my hooves move downward on the wooden planks below. Only thing standing there is an ibex bartender there, cleaning out an empty yet dirty glass that was probably used earlier before.

In the room, tables look practically empty with no others occupying them. When my eyes check around, surprisingly only one table looks to be quite busy. There is a Diamond Dog there, and at least two Abyssinians from outside Equestria: one that looks frog-like, and the other... a cross between a goat and a rat of some sort. Ah what the hay, I'll just call this guy a goat for now. Whatever they are isn't really much of a concern to me at the moment.

For the mug in its gray paw, the Diamond Dog took a sip out of whatever drink was in there. Being that what they consider 'alcohol', it's forbidden to anypony to take even a small drop as it could make us easily sick... almost like those that eat meat. Leave that to the wild and the Timberwolves from out of the Everfree Forest back home.

My hooves below trot onto the wood below, hearing their quiet murmuring among one another. In the background, I can hear some ambient music- almost very much like Saddle Arabia in many ways, but different. Music... not really my taste.

"Y'all heard the news about the Storm King?" I can hear the frog-like being ask with a hint of worry in his own voice.

After that long sip, the goat slams the mug down on the top of the table. "What's he doing now?" His sly, moderate voice shows concern as much as his frog buddy next to him. "He's already got half the world under his thumb."

"Well, apparently, that ain't enough," The frog moves his hands in the discussion that he was making. My ears caught in his attention when I proceed forward, only listening to the news about the Storm King... the one that hedgehog mentioned before. "He's got all his goons out, looking for magic."

The gem underneath my cloak begins to glow brightly, drifting me away from that conversation, but still listen to every word that is said. Even in its exposure, I place my hoof underneath the cloak and cover it up to avoid any attention from those in the room. "Artifacts, amulets, gems..." The frog claimed. "If it glows, he's comin' for it."

 _That explains the Storm King's interest in this gem. Perhaps I should investigate further..._

Hearing the words from the frog himself, I knew that I needed somewhere much more private than in a public setting like this where others can be around. Should I try bringing it out in this open, that should be enough to catch the unwanted attention. Wherever this Storm King would be- directed here by the news and then I could be in bigger trouble than I imagine.

I was quick to turn around and leave the building. I did catch a glimpse of that Diamond Dog eyeing me when I was headed for the swinging doors once again. He must be suspecting something as if I were a spy. Couldn't possibly be though, as he goes back to minding his business with those two.

Past the swinging doors that slide into one another, I was quick to see an alleyway that to many eyes would seem rather suspicious. Still, should give me enough cover to examine and use my magic to see what wonders this glowing gem could give... if it can even do something like that.

I enter into the dark alleyway, the end being blocked off by a fence by appears to have been cut by the holes in them. Perhaps for some thieves living here? I look there first, and then turn behind me. Good... nopony is looking.

 _Even with my damaged horn, I can tell... there is deep magic in this gem._

 _I hesitate to use my own magic- unpredictable as it has been since I lost my horn... but I must risk it._

I studied the gem for a moment, taking the black chains off from my neck and gripping onto the gritty texture of its wonder. From there, despite my horn being broken, I begin to channel magic into my horn.

My magic crackled and sizzed for a moment as it was lighting up, but I can see that the magic has triggered the gem inside as there is a small amount of white light detected inside. I continued with my magic, the blue aura surrounding it for a moment in my right front hoof before I can see it's activation.

From out of the gem, I can see a mist of the same green flowing out from it, forming into what almost looks like a cloud in many ways. What kind of magic was that? I've nevered detected anything like this in my lifetime.

 _There are strange energies within it... I can only hope my magic works as it should-_

" _Beware,_ " A voice called out from it, catching me by complete surprise. At first I thought that there are some crazed others in town that caught me in the act at first. But from the direction that it came from... didn't expect it to telepathically speak with me. " _Beware the Misfortune Malachite._ "

Now shining brightly inside of the alleyway, the green gem that called itself the Misfortune Malachite began to rise upward out of my hoof and float there above me, the sound of the chains rattling. The mist began to climb upwards almost as if it was some sort of screen. It covered the end of the alleyway that I came in, and I froze in place. I couldn't move as it spoke to me.

" _I thought to use the gem's power for my own gain... but I found only ruin. The Malachite's magic became my undoing._ "

 _These are... memories? Echoes? Fragments, from the gem's previous owners..._

Still covered in that white light, I can hear it continue to speak with me while I remain paralyzed and unable to struggle out from its gaze. " _Rid yourself of this stone at once! It will only change your life for the worse! It's power is a trap!_ "

The light from the gem began to die down and it dropped immediately onto the floor, releasing me from the gaze. I was backed up onto the wall, only two back hooves were in contact with the tiled sands that were carven in the making of this place. The green haze begins to slowly crawl back inside of the gem.

" _All power is... a trap..._ " were the final words of warning that came out from the Malachite when its mist finally sunk back in and began to glow normally.

I set the both of my hooves downward and grab the gem by its black chains. Now sitting on the clean sand for a moment, both of my front hooves are holding it as my eyes look at it once again- a shock still deep inside of me of what just happened.

 _So this is the Misfortune Malachite. I thought the gem was a legend... but apparently it is all too real._

 _The malachite is cursed, they say. It brings bad luck to any who carry it._

 _I don't believe in bad luck... but I do believe that the Storm King will be coming for me. I'll need to outrun or hide from him somehow._

I knew I couldn't stay here in this Klugetown any longer, as this thing can easily be traced by the glow. I peek out from the alleyway, not seeing anypony suspicious or watching my every move.

Coast looks clear, despite a few tall creatures walking by. They don't really care about my appearance, even with the scar on my right eye. Probably just tourists I imagine, and they most likely feel the same way about me. One fish-like being passes by me with two crates of loaded material... more fruits for the vendors I believe. I have this feeling though that somepony is following me...

"Hey! You there!"

I turn around to hear where that voice was coming from. I swear if it is one of those brutes working for the Storm King, I better start galloping immediately. "Eh?" was the answer that I wondered when I turn to see the figure coming towards me.

Oh... it's just another pony. But it is a stallion wearing a hat and a vest around him. A neck tie is also around him to keep the vest on him. He has a worn, yet welcoming smile on his face, and I felt to be in absolute relief to find it wasn't one of the Storm army.

"You're a pony, aren't you?" He asked me. I almost didn't know what to say to him, as I find myself to be rather speechless on what to say to him. Not exactly the kind of pony from Equestria who goes and makes an immediate introduction after all. "I thought so! I haven't seen another pony in years!" He goes on to finally introduce himself. "The name's Rambler!"

It's been a long time since I've seen a pony as well. Only other thing that actually came close to a pony, I'd probably say was the changelings that I had to avoid. Last thing I'd want is for me to be captured and for the Queen of the Changelings to suck the love right out of me... which I probably don't host inside any more ever since the loss of my horn.

"What a coincidence!" He continued to speak with me, raising his hoof and hosting the proud tone in his voice. "My caravan was just about to leave for Bleak Valley, and-"

"Did you say caravan?" I asked him with a smile now forming on my face. I turn around to see it, looking rather empty at first, but being loaded on the top of the second cart by a couple of alligator-like beings that probably worked with this 'Rambler' fellow. Still, this was a great opportunity since I was trying to leave. "Could I join you?"

With a jolly laugh, he responded to me. "Why, sure! Th' more the merrier!" Though I felt a bit slight uncomfortable when he patted me on the back. "And us ponies gotta stick together, am I right?"

Despite the surprise from him, all I can do is look at him with a smile and a bit of relief inside of me. Storm King wouldn't be able to find me now...

* * *

 **That night...**

I was quite surprised with how far the caravan had gone since the departure out of Klugetown. Out from the sandy dunes I was, and into the winter wonderland of Bleak Valley. Well, not in that town quite yet, as we won't be there until morning dawn. Trusting Rambler was the best decision I made for now, and this gave me time to think during the trip.

Clouds outside seem a bit more gray than usual, but it is to be expected when there is snow that climbs down onto the valleys and trees, giving them a shine of white to them. My right hoof is pressed below my chin as I can only watch the trees that move along from the window where I was positioned. Other than the weight that had been relieved on my shoulders, I can only lose myself in thought over the losses I had over the years...

"Hey there, miss!" Rambler's voice caught me completely by surprise, nearly giving me quite a scare from the orange leather seat where I was sitting. "How're you doin'?"

"Oh! Err... Fine! Just fine!" I responded to him with quite a nervous smile on my face, and the tone of surprise in my voice.

I see him opening up the door with his left front hoof, entering inside the caravan. I don't really mind his presence as of the moment, as it was in total silence before aside from the bumps on the road earlier.

While he was taking a seat on the opposite side, I couldn't help but think about what's done for me at the moment. Being that I lost my water supply back in the desert, he was more than happy enough to lend me some himself. A very nice stallion, but I can't stay when I leave the path out... this Storm King still might be looking for me. Still, I should make the best of my time when I still have it.

"I gotta say," He began to speak with me as I seemed distracted by the snowy background outside the window. "It's rare to see another pony so far from Equestria! I ain't been back in years... I got travel in my bones."

He paused for a moment, still attempting to make some conversation with me. He probably thought I wasn't listening to him, but my ears were all-open.

Clearing his throat for a moment, he continued. "It's nice to meet somebody- I mean, somepony from back home. What brought you out here?"

Outside of the window, my eyes catch onto a few snowflakes that begin to steadily drop onto the ground below. More seem to be coming from above, so I can assume that it's just your usual snowstorm in winter-time. The question of what brought me out here... I shouldn't answer, but I should give them a simple reason.

"I'm... looking for something," The tone of my voice began to grow sad, the volume of my voice dropping a little bit. I blinked for a moment, seeing the expression on my face in the reflection. "Something I lost... a long time ago."

His voice dropped and he began to sound concerned. "You lost somethin'? Back in Equestria?"

"Yes... something precious..."

 _My memory was a bit faded at the given time, but I can recall the time I was a filly. I ended up losing my horn... the reason... I can't explain right now, but I can only remember myself crying over what I loved being taken from me..._

"And with it, I lost everything else. I lost what I defined myself by... then I lost those who stood by me... and now, I'm simply... lost."

I exhaled a sigh before continuing. "I feel as though there is almost nothing left of me," The snow outside looks to have picked up when I can see more are beginning to fall from the black clouds above. "Out here, I'll either lose myself completely... or find something new to be."

"I..." Rambler was almost speechless to my words. "...I'm sorry... I don't know what to say."

All I can really do is turn to him with a smile on my face. "That's all right, I don't know what I want to hear."

He turned to the window for a moment after having seated there in silence for the past few minutes. "Well... keep yourself bundled up, miss," He advised me, getting up onto his four hooves and leaving the caravan to direct it through the storm. He looked at the clouds, his expression having a bad feeling about them. "It's lookin' like a real storm out there."

"Thank you Rambler, I will." I responded to him as he closes the door and moves forward outside.

Alone I was again, and in a peaceful silence once more. Aside from the silence, there is the faint sound of the winter winds outside of the caravan. It does give me a good opportunity to start writing in my journal about the recent experiences since having left Klugetown earlier.

I reached underneath my cloak with my right front hoof, taking the book inside from the pocket and grasping it along with the pencil. I pulled it out and opened it up to the recent page that I hadn't written in just yet. Since my magic is very unstable with the loss of my horn, I have no choice but it grip onto it with my mouth and begin writing.

 _Dear Journal..._

I stopped for a moment with question only filling in on my expression. The eraser tip at the end of the pencil is removed from my mouth as I begin to try and think back on what I saw like the autumn season halfway to Bleak Valley... nah, can't think of anything.

"Humph..." is my only response, casting the journal and the pencil to the side. I can only place my hoof onto my right cheek and continue to watch the snowstorm outside.

The travel that seemed like minutes... half-hours... maybe hours, seem to feel like they are only a couple of seconds long. Still, I must maintain my own patience as I know when I get to the destination afar, I make a break for it and leave the caravan... going my own path. Then I can see if I can use this Malachite despite the warnings to heal me.

From the winter winds, I can hear some voices of concern outside that was brought to my own attention. They sounded very uneasy, as if there was trouble on the road. Timberwolves? Nah, they couldn't be this far out from the Everfree Forest... Changelings, maybe? I wasn't really sure.

Until I saw the bright light shine down onto the winter snow outside, and when that happened... I looked up in the window, staying out from there.

" **SURRENDER TO THE STORM KING!** " I can hear a deep yet bruteful voice cry out. That is when I saw the ropes at the front of the caravan falling down followed by the rumbling sounds of landing feet.

"It's an ambush!" I can hear another voice shout in alarm.

Only then, I can realize what was really going at this point... it was the Storm King's minions again! What were they even doing all the way out here?!

Using my hoof and getting up off of the leather seat, I edged open the door and took a peek outside to see what was happening with the minions. Perhaps it was just a traditional hijack from the minions for more supplies as the reports read about him ravaging cities for their wealth and goods.

Perhaps I won't be the target here, especially when three of the white-furred minions are surrounding the rhino who pulled the caravan.

"Give us the gem!" The first one demanded with instant aggression.

"What gem?!" The rhino sounded rather confused and scared while the other two are pointing their spears at him.

"Oh no..." I was in complete surprise when they had mentioned the Misfortune Malachite that was just around my neck. "They found me." I knew I couldn't stay right where I was, as the other caravan members could very well point out my location inside.

I took no chances to stay behind, making a leap out the door and hiding in the snow underneath a tree. The sound of my hiding wasn't able to grab their attention as they were still interrogating the rhino on my whereabouts.

" _Miss!_ " I can hear a sharp and loud whisper coming to my direction. I turn my eyes to the right to see Rambler lying there, underneath the same tree as I. Difference is, he was opposite side of the trunk. " _What is going on?_ "

" _I... I don't know!_ " I whispered back to him, scooting to the side at a rock when the minions turn to examine the car I came out from. I watched them for a bit from my position, watching as they begins to ravage through the interior of it. Wait... the Journal I had!

The minion without a spear takes out the book that I had been writing in, looking into it and examining it. Probably looking for the last time I wrote in the book.

" _It sounds like they're searching for something!_ " I whispered to Rambler again, continuing to watch them as they go back to the front of the caravan with the journal being the only evidence that they need. The spearless minion begins to take out a scroll, and revealing a picture of me and the Misfortune Malachite that was in my possession.

By the looks of it, I think I figured out a way of making a break for it. My plans originally from before will have to move off the table. I didn't want to do this, but maybe if I gave my cloak to Rambler in my place, he could trick them into thinking I was on the run... yes! That will work!

"I have an idea," I said to him while hiding and keeping an eye on the minions. "I think we can escape!"

"But how? They'll know we're here soon enough!" He says to me with alarm in his voice.

My simple response to him was taking off my cloak and passing it to him. "Make a break for it. Don't worry about me, just lead them away from me while I make my escape." I said to him.

He nods in response, and puts the cloak on. By the look in his eyes, I can see him studying his path of distraction for him and the minions that would follow behind him in a chase. The movement of snow in his place is heard when he gets up onto his four hooves and begins to gallop past the guards.

I can see the look in the spearless minion's arctic blue dotted eyes when he mistaked the cloaked Rambler as me. He was quick to turn around and point at him, turning the other two around whom ready their spears for capture.

"Over there!" The first speared minion shouts.

The other almost wants to poke Rambler in the rear, but misses. "She's escaping!" I almost wanted to laugh for the fact that he was mistaking Rambler for me, but remained silent.

"After her!" The spearless minion shouts as he and the other two begin their pursuit of Rambler into the distance of the frozen wasteland.

I watched as Rambler continued to gallop far off to lead them away. "Sorry, Rambler." I apologized in advance, even if he couldn't hear me or the normal volume of my voice.

Turning in the opposite direction, I pushed the branch upward and crawled back onto my hooves. I begin to trot away, turning for only a moment to see the caravan I was leaving one last time. "...But if I'm going to succeed, I can't have anything else holding me-" By the time I had turned my head back around, I stopped speaking at that moment.

In front of me was a tall being that looked to be in heavy armor, wearing almost the same kind of armor as the other minions did. This wasn't a minion though by the looks of it, as he was revealing his face to me. Black hair, dark gray wings on his back and arctic blue eyes just like the others... his skin looking quite different and furless... a human?!

He was quick to reach forward and grab me by the throat, though I didn't see myself choking as he wasn't showing any kind of strength. I begin to power some magic into my broken horn, but his other hand grips onto it and I can tell that he is emotionless when his hand is getting burnt. Though unstable, it proved rather useless in this situation. I can remember my scream when he had grabbed me.

"I did not want to do this, but the Storm King gave me the orders." His voice tells me as he sounded rather strict when he is pulling me away from the scene.

My struggle began as I was trying to set myself free from the human's grasp. "Let me go!" I shouted at him. He doesn't appear to be listening though, but I repeatedly tried to fight back with him.

"You continue to attack me, and I will take that Malachite from your own dead corpse and give it to the Storm King myself!" He barked at me with quite a fury in his voice. His accent is what made it sounnd much scarier, especially when he is dragging me now through the snow.

I was grunting when being dragged along in the snow. The storm up in the skies seems to pick up on dropping more snowflakes by the time the caravan was out of sight. I continued to attempt my struggle out, but there is no use by the firm grip.

For humans to actually exist... I thought they and the stories of the Paladin of Equestria were all only fairy tales... they're real.

After what seems like five minutes, I can feel my neck being released when he tossed me forward into the snow. I turned around for a moment, almost gritting my own teeth at him in self-defense in case he was going to kill me right here, right now.

That is until I saw the shadow that covered the ground behind me and the armored human. I turn around to see who was right behind me, and I gasped for a moment at this figure who looked to be much taller than the human himself. By the height of the human, he looks to be almost like the height of the Princess back in Canterlot.

This white-furred yeti-satyr in front of me, wearing the symbol on his armor and wearing that horned crown upon his head... this was who I had been running from the whole time... the Storm King...

I found myself paralyzed with fear as his arctic blue eyes could only stare down at me with a glare in his eyes and his gritted teeth before. "You know, you've been leading me on quite a chase!" His voice began to speak to me. "Seriously, I've had to put my best creatures on you! Of course, even my best creatures aren't that great. Good help and all that... but seriously, you've put some of my most important projects on hold!"

Standing my ground and the Malachite around my neck glowing, I can only glare at him as he bends downward and begins to study my appearance.

"All for you..." He sounds rather busy when looking at me. "So... what are you, little pony? Are you worth my time?"

Courage is found inside of me to respond to him, releasing the glare on my eyes and sounding quite curious as I thought he'd already make me prisoner. "I... I am a unicorn. I've come a very long way, in search of powerful magic. I've faced many dangers to find it."

"Dangers! I'll say!" He sounds rather impressed by the tone of his voice when he points at me with quite a smile on his face. "You went up against me and my army! And you've done a pretty good job, too! That trick with your cloak and that other pony, just now? That was darn clever, but why didn't you just ask him to help you?"

"Because..." I paused for a moment when memories of my past began to slip inside of my mind, remembering what happened long ago. "...Because I learned a long time ago... you can't rely on anypony else."

The Storm King chuckled for a moment. "Anypony... that's cute," He commented for a moment before continuing. "I'll be honest with you, uh... what's your name? I don't think I ever caught it."

"My name..." I paused again. Do I really want to reveal my own name to the yeti-satyr who had surprisingly not had me thrown onto the skyship prison or had his human buddy here kill me? I'm trapped between the two of them, so I don't really have much of a choice.

"...Tempest. Call me Tempest."

He laughed again. "Tempest! Oh, that's great! That's wonderful! How perfectly on brand!" He responded to my name given to him, and then turns around with his back facing me. His white tail appears to be catching a bit of snowfall. "I'll be honest with you Tempest: I could use someone like you. Smart... talented... driven..."

"What do you mean?" I felt like there was some kind of proposal he was making to me.

He turns around back towards me, but looks right at the human from behind. "Takeo, go back to the flagship, I will meet with you after this." He commanded to him.

"Yes sir. I will be in my room... thinking about keeping my past buried." He says to him as he opens his wings and makes flight upward to the flag-ship above. Takeo... sounds like an interesting name.

"Well," He begins to explain the reason why he would find me to be useful. I turn around and begin to look at the Storm King when he speaks to me again. "I've had some personnel shakeups lately. A high-level executive just dropped out, and I need his position filled ASAP."

He points at the Misfortune Malachite around my neck with a tink when his finger touched it. "However... if you are going to join, I have a condition. I'll need you to give up the Malachite."

"The gem?" I said, backing up by a few hoofsteps. "No! I need its magic! Because..."

I struggled to get words out, but I take a seat in the snow. One front hoof guards the Malachite to protect it from his hands and the other points at my broken horn. "Because... because of this. I need something powerful to fix my horn... to get my magic back."

"Is that all?" He questioned to me with a smirk on his face. "Well, I can do that for you."

Happiness began to flow into the surprised voice and expression on my face when he claimed he would fix my horn. My ears sprang upward with joy. "You can?!"

"Of course!" He says to me, turning around with a pace and raising his arms and hands for a few seconds. "Once I've finished conquering, I'll have more power than any other creature in the world!"

"Is that why you're searching for magic?" I questioned to him, as the wind blows onto my mane. "Just for... power?"

"What other goal is there?" He responds to me, raising one hand this time for the course of explanation. "Power. Control. These are the only things worth seeking in this world." He turns around to look at me. "I'll fix your horn and restore your magic..."

He brought his hand forward and signalled me to hand over the Malachite. "...if you pay my price."

I take the black chains off from around my neck, and place my hooves onto the gritty texture of the glowing gem. "...You know, it's rumored to be cursed." I said to him as I look over it one last time. "They say it causes bad luck."

"Do they?" He asked me, comind forward when I gave him the Malachite in his hand. He looks at it and studies its wonders. "What do you think?"

"I think 'bad luck' is superstition," I explained to him, feeling the need to get some of my past involved into it. "I don't blame curses. Everything bad that's happened to me... has been someone's fault. Sometimes... mine..."

"So you don't believe in bad luck." He responds to me, not turning away from the allure of the gem itself. I was speechless at first, and then I heard the sound of cracking. I though it was ice at first, but I looked to see that the Misfortune Malachite was smashed by the Storm King's hand which broke it. "...I do." He sounded a bit angry in the tone of his voice when he cracked it to pieces and placed the powerless remains to the snow below.

"And if I'm going to be conquering, the last thing I need is bad luck," He continued as the snow from the clouds above piles onto the pieces and leaves them to be buried and forgotten. "Besides, it was really more of a conversation piece, you know?"

He wants magic, hm? Well, there's something I can help him out with. "So..." I said to him. "You want magic."

"That I do."

"I can help," I said to him as pictures of home began to flow in my mind. Images of Princess Celestia, and her subjects looking rather happy in their time there and the Paladin of Equestria who was with them, looking rather happy. That's at least what I read in the newspapers throughout my journey... "I know a place filled with magic. Princesses, crystals, the clouds themselves..."

"Tempting," He commented, putting his right hand onto his chin. "If it's so filled with magic, why haven't you already gone there?"

"Because it's the place I came from..." A glare began to appear on my eyes from even mentioning the name itself. "Equestria."

I turn around to look at him, standing tall as he begins to listen to every word that I was saying. He just remains there, not saying anything else.

"It won't exactly be easy when they have the Paladin of Equestria there, who is human just like your own bodyguard Takeo. I thought it was only myth and the news were making something false, but he's all but proved it. With me, I can help further and stop him... as well as get the magic from the enchanted lands there... conquer Equestria, and you'll have enough magic to do whatever you want... and fix my horn."

He looks down at me, still no word coming from my offer. "Promise me." I said once more to him.

What I didn't expect was for him to bend down and take ahold of my right front hoof with the both of his hands as a rather sincere expression crossed onto his own face. The amount of snow that fell seems to have dwindled in numbers, and it was for the first time that my own ears heard him sound rather calm when he spoke to me.

" _I promise... Commander Tempest._ "


	6. A Storm's Prelude

**Many months later...**

 **The Storm Isles**

Underneath the rolling storm clouds below, the waves violently crash into the rocks that stood as barriers for the brown isles itself. A lightning strikes onto a bird on flight, practically scorching it in shock and sending it downwards to the dirt below. Aside from the boring and dull landscape void of green, there were black colored towers that bordered around the isles.

At the top of each tower, there were the Storm creatures that would serve their loyalty to their one and only true master that had been given to them: The Storm King. Each of their blue-dotted eyes stare out towards the ocean and the sky for any intruder that would dare try to cross onto the land of their king, let alone cross the airspace. Only one incident had already happened with the Griffon delegates years ago when they came to them for directions. Oh, how wrong they were to think the Storm King would be so humble to offer them back a way to the Griffon Empire. They were held imprisoned for months, and only through the Empire did they convince the Storm King to release them.

The Storm creatures, also referred to as Mooks by the Storm King himself, stand there with their spears raised high in protection of the Storm Isles for it was where their prophecies were created and their origins a beginning. They all witnessed it, and though they don't know whom left it there, saw the egg that contained the Storm King himself merely as a baby. They raised him to become the ruler he would one day be, today.

Past the border wall of black and the towers was possibly the largest tower of all for the isle itself. The tower was like a castle, spiralling towards the sky and featuring longer spikes on its tips at the top. The flag featuring the Storm King's symbol blows in the wind with a few tears, but even the Mooks knew that when it falls, that is when the Storm King will make the orders to replace it.

Yes, there were children that were bred within the Mooks society. They would play roughly amongst themselves in brawls, and as usual would go to school. All education within the field was the majority that any other school system would have, but with the message that they will serve the Storm King for as long as he lived. After the education and the passing into their older years like any other normal adult Mook, they were sent to be trained under the Storm army and recruited as soldiers.

Even then, they could sense a different change in the air since the months had passed. They all could remember that one day when the Storm King returned from Abyssinia in his plans of conquest...

Upon arrival, the Mooks gave their everlasting praise to the Storm King who would deliver them to a world under his reign that he would conquer the world and give them the freedom to roam outside the isles with a superpower army and a spell to truely make him a "Storm" King. He had brought home with him an unexpected outsider that they were surprised to see.

Introductions were made for the broken horned unicorn, going by her own name "Tempest Shadow". He had proposed to them that she would help him as the new commander in his conquest to dominate the world under his one and only law. Besides from the prisoners he captured that were the infamous Celaeno and her pirates whom he would no doubt would give them the roles as cargo haulers forcefully, the Storm King sent the unicorn herself on a quest.

This quest itself, was to retrieve a staff that had been passed down in legend on the Storm Isles for a very long time. They called it the Staff of Sacanas, a lost artifact that had been kept within the caves of the volcanic territory east of the isles: Mount Thunderroar.

In the present time as of now, the Mooks look above in the clouds to see one of the Storm King's airships returning. Big difference though, they contained the pink markings that resembled the commander making her return to the main isle. Some watch as it makes approach towards the docks above on the tower, while others continue to go about their business with going to get groceries for the family.

Being that they shown great loyalty, no tax would be given to them which would be seen as a benefit to them.

On the docks and around the Storm King's tower, there were royal Storm guards standing there with much tougher armor than even the normal Mooks would have. These special ones were those who no doubtingly impressed the Storm King with their talents and abilities to show they were willing to defend him and his kingdom at any cost. They were much tougher, yes, but held a more strict personality.

Inside at the top of the tower and one floor below the roof that oversees the Storm Isles, there was the throne room itself. The royal guards both stood there at the double doors with two standing by the big chair itself where even the big guy himself would be sitting as he was now.

That Storm King himself... his throne was spun around to watch the outside and he patiently waited until the return of his commander. The fingers on both his hands are pressed together, as those arctic blue eyes observe the wealth of his kingdom and the expansion to the North Isles that were in complete development. A bolt of lightning shoots down from the clouds in the view and strikes onto a random piece of dead grass that were uninhabitable for any other being.

And he wonders how the Mooks survived on their own...

Aside from his nostrils and the other mooks breathing, there was only the sound of the wind outside of the tower along with the crackling of thunder that followed after each lightning strike no matter how far the distance it was seconds away. There is the faint sound of the doors opening and closing in the halls as well to fill in the silence.

He knew very well of Commander Tempest's return when the word had gotten out to him from a channelled message in the clouds that shown him the light of the mission he gave to her being complete and was to return those days soon which he expected on time as he thought.

Takeo... he stands guard next to the throne of the Storm King. He remained a mystery for many of the mooks, but the Storm King had a very long and well-known memory of how he stumbled upon the winged human boy in the first place. Some could say his wings were given to him in a freak experiment, or that he was given them as a omen that he would regret since he got them.

Only both the yeti-satyr and the human knew of their meeting for the first time, but was never explained to the Mooks as even the king knew their minds so dumb would not be able to comprehend the tale of how the Storm King found Takeo, took him in and raised him as his honored warrior.

Same eye color as his own master and king, he had joined him in the wait for Tempest's return. Ever since the word had been spread as far into the Storm Isles that another human had existed in this world, Takeo himself was interested to knowing more about this other 'winged' human that was said to be located within Equestria - something both the Storm King and Tempest had on target.

From behind the throne the King sat, the doors had opened up slightly. By how far it had opened from the light it shone on the wall... both the King and his Warrior knew the short mohawked figure entering in the doorway judging by the shadow itself.

Grubber...

That little hedgehog was coming in today for probably the eleventh time much to the dismay of them both. Takeo's eyes could catch the sight of his master wanting to groan heavily and place his hands onto his face if this was another question from that creature about all kinds of food, whether it being snacks or just... any kind of food at all. The winged human turns around and looks to see what the small creature wanted from his king.

A sigh is heard from the Storm King. "This is the eleventh time you have come into the throne room to ask of something from me, isn't it?" He asked with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Your Almighty," Grubber says as he kneels down on one small chubby leg before the throne with its back turned on him. "This is different news to inform you about."

"Oh?" The Storm King looks to be pretending to care about whatever the little dimwit would tell him at any moment. "Let me guess... I have a massage therapist now." He sounds sarcastic in the tone of his voice when he spoke again to him.

The mohawked hedgehog shook his head. "No, Your Highness. It's mostly to do with Commander Tempest. She has returned from her journey." He confirmed to him as the Storm King kept an ear open.

A pause was heard from the Storm King at first as his head rises up from slouching forward with his hands pressed together. A smile begins to appear on his face, and he twists around in the throne, slamming a fist onto the right side of the throne's armrest. The image of the outside displaying all of the Storm Isles was replaced with that of a simulation that resembles lava flowing downward.

"Well, ba-da-boom!" The Storm King announced with excitement in his voice and that full-grown smile on his face. "Send her right in! If she's back after a while, she must have found the staff to make me a true king."

"The Staff of Sacanas, sir." Takeo informed him, being that he didn't state its actual title.

The yeti-satyr stood up out of his throne and raised his left hand to his winged warrior. "Ah-ah-ah," He interrupted the human further. "I got it. Shouldn't be a problem now."

Both of the throne room doors begin to open up, and the shadow of that familiar broken horned unicorn begins to form into the light from outside. Proudly he stood, the doors opened up all the way thanks to the support of the Royal Storm guards. The light reveals more of Tempest's face, along with that scar on her right eye as from the result of the attack that had caused her to lose her horn.

"Commander Tempest," The Storm King said with a chuckle as she approached with something covered on her back in a cloth. "It is good to see you again after many months."

She smiled back at him. "As it is to see you too, your Highness." Her head turns around to bite the cloth that hid the item itself, revealing that staff itself before the king's own eyes.

The staff itself was that of the basic in its body, shaped almost like a cross between Poseidon's staff in the seapony kingdom of Atlantis below the surface of Equus' oceans, and a large tree twig. Only difference: there was a light blue gem that was included on top of the staff, that without power to source the item. Being that Tempest had a broken horn, she couldn't possibly use her magic to levitate it over to the Storm King. One of the Mooks that was assigned to work with her, had to take it off her back and bring it forward to him.

"Behold," She continues as the yeti-satyr grips onto the staff itself and looks at the stone at the top. "I give to you the one thing that will make you all-powerful. The Staff of Sacanas."

An expression of joy appeared on his face. "Ohhh, and this precious rock seems to go quite well with it," He commented before he would motion to move it around. "Now... I am truely the Storm-"

He stops for a moment before he could finish his sentence. He sways the staff around a few more times. "Wait... where's all the lightning strikes or the powerful winds that follow along with the staff?" The tone of his voice sounded rather confused.

"The staff hasn't been charged with magic yet, your Majesty." Tempest informed him to his own disappointment. "The only thing it requires for the full effect would be the princesses' magic."

Grumbling with disapproval for that moment, the Storm King looks back at her. "I thought that it would be already there by the time we head out to conquer Equestria." His tongue falls out in disguist. "Bleh! So much for getting a powerful item to make others cower before me."

Tempest ignored that this was the usual him being very fussy about things given to him whether incomplete or not. It was quite typical that she saw of him when she was on the king's airship. Takeo remains silent in obedience when the Storm King listens to her words.

"No fears though," She begins to explain. "When you had taken me in as the new Commander; I swore that I would help you conquer the world. With me, you're already one step closer to doing so. All you'll need is the magic that I told you about, and magic is what you'll have."

"Because you'll be heading back to your homeland Ponyland, or Horse Valley... whatever they call it nowadays," The Storm King grumbles further. "Can't exactly be called Dream Valley, can it?"

"It's Equestria." She corrects him.

"Oh whatever," He says. "I can grant you a mission that can have send you there for that mission of getting the princesses' magic. You'll have practically the entire army divisions with you. The ones who have control in other places already like Abyssinia, will unfortunately be unable to join you. Still, they'll be there just in case of an emergency."

His eyes turned to the hedgehog who looks to be chomping away at a few spongecakes and cupcakes that he had with him. Typical Grubber himself, always obsessing over food when he's not assigned on the job or doing any tasks.

"GRUBBER!"

The shout of his king practically startled the little guy, who practically had to hide all of the sweets behind him with an innocent look on his face. Tempest who turned her head to look directly at the hedgehog, gives him an unamused glance by the look in her eyes.

"Yes, your Highness?" He said nervously as he remembered the first time his king gripped onto him and practically sounded angry at him. Last time that happened, the pirates had got away with the wealth of Abyssinia and Strife betrayed them.

The yeti-satyr moves forward to Grubber, now a bit calm, but still loudmouthed. "You, my little friend, are going to help out the Commander on her mission to Equestria," He pats him on the head. "You're not exactly leader-material, but as long as you obey her and do what she tells you to do - you're going to be just fine."

Another look in Tempest's direction and that uneasy glance on her face had the hedgehog gulp nervously. "Y-yes, your Highness. I won't let her d-down."

"You're a smart little hedgehog," The Storm King chuckled as he moves away from the little guy. "Head to Tempest's airship and wait for her, prepare the troops... you know."

Grubber stood there for only a few moments before turning around towards the doors that exit the throne room nervously. By the expression on his face, this will probably be the first time that he will ever have to get involved with fighting - aside from the past childhood years in the tribe he was cast out from.

The Storm King paused in thought for a moment, and then turns to his most-trusted warrior Takeo who looked at him with the amount of respect he was taught to give to him. "My favorite: Takeo. You'll be joining with Tempest for this mission by her side. To attack the enemy and come to her aid should she need the back-up," He says to him with a vicious grin on his face. "You may have had a bad experience with her when you and her first met..."

Tempest puts on an amused smile when the Storm King was referencing back to when she first saw him, and the first time ever seeing a human before her own eyes. Being dragged through the snow was something she tried not think about especially with the threats he made about killing her if she continued to fight back.

"Yeah, about that..." Takeo said, scratching the back of his head.

A chuckle that became a short laugh emerged out from the yeti-satyr's mouth, and he pats the winged human on the back. "Do not fear. I am sure that was because you had to play your part as the intimidating warrior type. You practically are, the best one that I raised after all. Anyone else would have cast you out and left you to die." He assures him. "With this mission, I have that good feeling you and her will get along quite well."

"That's what I hope for," Tempest said with a smile emerging on her face. "In fact, he is exactly the one I have in use for, when it comes to that other human in Equestria."

"Right..." The Storm King's expression changed from even thinking about that brown haired boy with that silver blade of his. "He'll need some taking care of, and Takeo's just about the right person to overpower him should he try to start defending our targets."

Tempest smiled with good intentions. "Then he is welcome aboard on my mission. Welcome aboard, Takeo." She turns and speaks with the emotionless human. "Your task: Attack this 'human' if he gets defensive. If by any means necessary he tries to stop us... kill him. It'll be a huge bonus if we capture him alive should you want that."

Moving forward, the human approached her and took her armor covered right front hoof. "I promise to never let you down, just as the Storm King promised to restore your horn." He swore that brief oath to me.

Feeling proud of him, she looks at him by the arctic blue eyes. "Wait for me at the airship. I will be there momentarily." She commanded him, with his acknowledgement and heading on his way out to the docks.

There was a bit of silence between the king and the broken-horned unicorn as the lava simulation behind the throne continues to flow for the feeling of the power between both the exiled Equestrian and the soon-to-be ruler of Equus for all time. He moves back to his throne and looks to be tapping out some sort of code onto the throne's left armrest, as if he would access a lot of secret stuff that normally other Mooks wouldn't be able to see with their own blue-dotted eyes.

It was a bag that the Storm King brought out, and he approached Tempest. He kneels down and opens up the bag for her to look inside. "You remember when I had shattered the Misfortune Malachite into pieces, didn't you?"

"All too well, your Highness."

"When you initially were on the run from me and my forces, the guards had gathered some of your magic that had been unstably let loose in the first time. With the pieces and your magic, I was able to merge them together to create these 'orbs' of magic that can assist you in making sure the princesses will be willing to give up their magic by force, should they resist," The Storm King explains to her. "It was tested a bit of time ago by the soldiers. Had to hide the orbs from them though as they started to fool around with them. Be careful with them though, they can petrify anyone into stone."

A smile came upon her face. "They will come to great use. I will see to it that they WILL give up their magic one way or another."

"Good," The Storm King grinned.

Tempest practically turned around to leave until the clearing of the Storm King's throat had caught her attention. She turned around to see the Storm King handing the Mook nearby the bag itself and silently ordering him to bring it to Tempest's airship. With that, the yeti-satyr moved forward closer to his commander.

"I know that I made my promise to help you. In return, you must help me bring full power to this staff in my hand. Should you fail, you'll know the true wrath of why I am called the Storm King." He paused for a moment. "I hope you know that deep down inside, Tempest."

"Believe me sir." She said, her tone dropping down to sounding serious. "I've wanted my revenge on them for a long time since I lost my horn and turned their back on me. I won't be betraying you anytime soon."

A smile grew onto the Storm King's face again as he brought his face away from her. "Well, alright!" He sounds rather excited. "Then you better head on your way to Equestria and get me some magic ready! I'll be here partying and celebrating early with the other Royal Storm guards until everything is ready for my arrival to show my face in Equestria!"

Turning around again, Tempest could only chuckle to herself and leave the throne room while the Storm King admires his powerless staff in patience of waiting for the magic to be rounded up.

"The princesses will never see this coming at all, and I will soon have my horn back..."

Tempest trots off towards the darkness, with only her eyes visible even when that horn crackled a bit in the darkness to show light in the darkness and that glare upon her eyes. At last, it was time for Equestria to know the Storm King's true intentions.

But it would be Tempest's time to show them, they just had to open up their eyes and see the world from where she stood among the mighty...


	7. We Got This Together

**A/N: If you haven't, make sure you give "Learning To Live" a read, that way you can get a better understanding of the characters.**

* * *

 **Brayden's POV**

"'Scuse us! Dragon and human on the move! Important princess documents comin' through!"

I knew I had woken up a little later than I usually should be, and I looked to be in quite the hurry to get to the castle of Canterlot with Spike, especially with him screaming in my ear for me to wake up. I had breakfast while he sounded like he was in a hurry, even if I felt that I was missing something.

Turned out that something important was happening today, and it was none other than the Friendship Festival that was going on today, and Spike was just there for me to remember it! By the time he told me, I was a bit of a panic... at least until he assured me that my mother had dispatched a chariot for both me and the baby dragon to ride on to Canterlot from Ponyville itself.

From what I am aware, the festival is to bring all of the races of Equestria together in celebration of friendship, which is obvious, but it is something I cherish the most ever since I had found it, long before I entered Equestria from that death Luna saved me from on Earth, far from the planet Equus where I stand now.

I can hear my breathing while I was running alongside Spike in our rush to meet up with Twilight for a gathering of the alicorns whom was my mother Celestia, my aunt Luna, Cadence, one of my loves Nightmare Moon and my main love Twilight.

Being that I also had Coco Pommel and Anna who came with me to Equestria, I already have my heart filled up with the four of them. They too will be joining in for the festivities, and I swear that even my best Earth friend Alex will be there to show the ponies all over how to party in his own style.

Even the ponies around me were peacefully talking about how everypony, even the griffons and zebras alone were here from their own native lands like the Griffon Empire to the West, and the Zebra Kingdom to the East from across the sea, it's own country next to Abyssinia, but remained undisturbed from any threats that should dare cross to them.

To my disappointment, I was saddened to see that the dragons from the dragon lands weren't present for the Festival, but if it does happen again I hope Celestia will be able to invite Ember over to Equestria. I still have yet to meet her, and I have a feeling that she probably won't be easy on me, as Spike had told me a bit of her personality from what he experienced.

Above me, is the group of the weather control pegasi gliding above the streets of Canterlot and floating upward along the castle walls and windows, never daring to get even closer to the grand architecture. I can hear their voices from that close, so I listened closely to what they were saying.

Clear Skies is the first one I could hear speaking to the group. "Princess Twilight must have her hooves full with this giant festival!"

The pegasus next to her, whom is named Sunshower responded to her excitement. "Are you kidding?! She's smart and organized and cool under pressure! There's nothing she can't handle!"

Even when the conversation got distant, and they had flown away to clear out more of the clouds in the skies above. A few of the earth ponies are trotting along with their friends and talking with the griffons and other friends of differences, but to my relief the elites seem to be silent about this, since I thought they'd protest. Perhaps they're on vacation... where? I dunno, maybe in the Crystal Empire to get away from the others.

Better that they aren't here then, as they probably only would handle the wealth of themselves. Except Fancy Pants and Fleur, who are here for the festival.

Me and Spike continue for about a minute or two until we had arrived at the front of the castle doors, which was where the heart of the festival was going to be in it's own front courtyard. The guards at the double doors knew exactly who we were, so they opened the doors for the both of us as we enter right on in to that familiar main hall with the staircase leading into both the western and eastern wings.

We both knew which direction that we were going to, and that was to the throne room where Twilight would be waiting for us.

"This way!" I said to him as I moved faster ahead to lead the way. My legs are already starting to get a little tired out from running, so we go right ahead and slow down to a walk, letting both myself and the baby dragon catch our moving down a set of hallways, we were in front of the doors to the throne room.

Well, there were some renovations in the castle that happened for a bit of a while now, so it is good to see that we'll be getting a glimpse of the new throne room. From what I saw in the blueprints replica for the east wing, the throne room was extended ahead with a new balcony and two thrones for both my mom and aunt.

To my surprise, Nightmare doesn't have a throne. She doesn't really seem to care for one though, as it doesn't look to be her own interest in ruling even after her redemption by which I spared her life from my own blade, the Song of Order. Even so, part of the blueprint also displayed the front courtyard, so it'd going to be wonderful to see most of the future Equestria festivals being portrayed in its own capital.

"Ommmmm..."

I can hear that familiar sweet voice from behind the doors into the lobby area, from which Luna usually set out the lavenders at night in the letter Celestia sent to me on their updates. It sounds none other than Twilight in there, sounding like she is getting ready. Knowing her, when she is getting prepared, she is getting nervous.

I turned to look at Spike and nod to him with a smile by which he nods back with a smirk on his face even when he carried Twilight's papers. I place my left hand onto the right side of the gold-tinted double door and begin to open up, hearing her voice more clearly than behind the door.

"Ohhhhhhh mmmmy goodness, I can't handle this!" Oh boy, here we go again. Got to calm her down and reassure her. She groans and continues just as I come in through the door, holding it open for Spike. "Nothing is working! I just have to get it together! Just go in there, and ask! This is your Friendship Festival, Twilight! Everypony's happiness rests in your hooves!" She facehoofs and groans again with a mixture of disappointment in herself and a small amount of worry as her own ears hang low.

"Okay Twilight," Spike calls out to her as we move to approach her, still holding onto the papers. "Got all your charts and graphs."

Her ears raised up and she turned around to see me and Spike standing there, happy to see us as she leapt forward, wrapping her wings around me. I wrapped my arms and wings around her in response, sharing a gentle and loving hug with her. "Oh thank goodness you're both here! I'm just so nervous about this meeting!"

"Whachoo talkin' 'bout?" Spike wondered, even in her discussion with the hug me and Twilight were sharing.

We released from the hug we were sharing, and I knew there was a bit of nervousness in that sigh that Twilight exhaled from her breath. She faced Spike, while I listened to what looked to be bothering her, gently letting my right hand stroke her soft and silky mane.

"I'm about to ask the three most royal princesses of Equestria for a huge favor!" She says to us, sounding a little stressed. "What if they reject me?"

"It'll be fine," Spike assures her with me. "Just remember the most important thing."

"Smile?!" Twilight places on a huge fake smile and looks even more nervous than she did before with that expression on her face.

"Eh... no," Her best friend who was her assistant corrected her. "You're a Princess, too."

"Right!" Twilight says as she kept that goofy smile on her face for those few moments before fading the expression back to sounding rather worried.

I placed my hand on her mulberry-colored cheek. "Don't worry about it Twi. Celestia is my own mother, remember? If she does turn it down, I'll be there to convince her otherwise. But we know her, she's very good-spirited." I tell her, the tone of my voice sounding like it was telling her reason.

She exhales out a breath, weakly smiling when she looked at me. "I hope you're right Brayden. I think I'm overthinking about this."

She finally turns around, channeling magic to her horn to open up the double doors that led straight to the new throne room itself, which to my extent, almost looks like the design that had used to be at the Castle of the Two Sisters long ago. Even the windows were sparkling new and were that of prophecies that had been fulfilled, like the one where I redeemed Nightmare.

The bricks were white like snow and even the tiles below were crystalline just like back at Twilight's castle. On the floor in the middle of the room is a shaped symbol down imprinted there, possibly to be there as a reminder of the harmony that Equestria is bound into.

And speaking of her, she is standing right there, along with the princesses. A bright smile is on her face, even with her mane flowing by itself. She is standing between both Aunt Luna and my mother.

Being that it was good to see them again, I was probably the first to come running inside directly towards Celestia with open arms, allowing her to give me the family hug that both me and her loved to share whenever we visited one another.

"It's good to see you again mom," I said to her, my hands gently stroking the back of my mother's neck in a friendly way. "We haven't seen each other since two months ago."

I can hear her giggle. "Don't forget about your dear Aunt. It is good to see you too, my son." We released a bit from the hug, sharing a friendly nuzzle for that moment there before I let go and shifted to Luna, letting my arms move around her to share a hug with her. But I admit, I feel like I was using a bit too much of my strength.

"Easy on the hug there, young man," Luna says to me with a giggle as we released from the hug. She places her shoe-covered hoof onto my hand. "I'm glad that you could join us all for the Friendship Festival. We were starting to think that you weren't invited."

I chuckled for a moment. "Oh Twilight wouldn't forget me. I did miss the Grand Galloping Gala, but I didn't want to miss this... but I must have overslept a few hours late, so I apologize for showing up later than expected."

"It's alright Brayden. At least you made it on time, so it's better that than early, later or never." Nightmare says to me, as she trots forward, placing her right front hoof on top of my left hand.

My left hand gently takes her hoof and holds it, my brown eyes caught in the gaze of the black coated alicorn with her cyan cat eyes staring right back at me with a graceful smile on her face. "Nightmare." I said her name as she moves forward, gently sharing a loving nuzzle with me.

I was married to Twilight, yes. But Nightmare had one of the four special places in my heart.

"I think you might be missing somepony there, Brayden." I can hear Cadence's voice say to me with a bright smile on her face.

Nightmare giggled as she removed her hoof from my hand, using her magic to move me right in front of Cadence where she looked happy to see me. I could have just shifted right over to her, but I was happy to let Nightmare do that for me regardless.

"How's everything in the Crystal Empire?" I asked her, as I wrapped my arms around her in sharing a hug with her.

She sounded happy when she spoke to me, placing her hoof onto my back in the hug. "Flurry Heart is still mine and Shining's little rascal, but she's been doing really well! We all miss you there, and we hope that you and Twilight will come visit us sometime! There's an event happening in the next month which is the Crystal Fair, and we think you could play a big part in it."

"I'll gladly play a part in it always," I chuckled and let go of the hug, looking at her again with those light purple eyes of hers looking at her as I spoke to her. "Hey, how's Thorax doing?"

"He's doing really well. He's no longer having any fears of the Changeling queen that he was forced under when he was under the control of her hive. He misses you, and hopes you'll visit."

A smile crosses onto my face. "Let him know that I will glad to stop by and visit when I can, and that's a promise guaranteed." I said to her.

She giggles. "Now, I assume that Twilight has something to share with me and the other princesses?" She says to me, pointing her out who was right behind me.

I turn around with a graceful smile on my face when I looked to see Twilight setting up the whiteboard and markers for what she was going to propose. With a smile, I joined up right beside the whiteboard to monitor Twilight in case she starts to stress out a little on if the princesses reject her or not.

Twilight was quite content, turning to look at the princesses and black alicorn that I face once again as they began to listen to the mulberry colored alicorn, and her assistant.

"So... good morning princesses!" Twilight started, finally introducing herself to them. "Thank you all for seeing me. I have an idea that I think will make our Friendship Festival the most wonderful celebration Equestria has ever seen!"

"Yes, Twilight!" Celestia says to her in her motherly yet excited tone. "We are very excited!"

"Ponies have been from all over all morning." Cadence commented proudly.

Luna sounds calm when she speaks to her. "I'd like to think it's to see us, but Songbird Serenade might be the bigger attraction."

"I've never experienced the Friendship Festival, but this is a first time for me, and I have heard a few of Songbird's music," Nightmare smiles happily. "She's practically the mane event!"

"Yes, she is the... 'mane' event!" Twilight giggled for a moment before continuing. "And to make it extra special, I could use your help." She turns to her left and looks at the baby dragon holding onto the black marker. "Spike?"

"I'm on it!" Spike says, taking off the marker top and getting ready to write down what she was explaining to the princesses. And from there, I was ready to hear Twilight explain what her proposal was.

"Songbird Serenade's performance is not scheduled to start until after you begin the sunset. And based on my precise calculation, to get the very best lighting for the stage..." She looks at Celestia. "Princess Celestia, I was hoping you could make sure the sun stays about 28.1 degrees to the south, and Princess Luna, if you could raise the moon 62 degrees to the north at the same time, it would reflect the sunlight on the other side and really frame the entire stage perfectly!"

"I..." Luna tries to interrupt, but I have a feeling even so that nopony interrupts Twilight during her science time explanations.

"But wait! There's more!" She continued. "Cadence, if you could use your crystal magic to create an aurora above the stage, the sun and moon will shine through it and create a truly amazing light show!"

Spike jumps right up onto the top of the whiteboard as soon as he was done writing down everything in the Equestrian language, which technically they did speak English, but I still have so much trouble reading Equestrian languages overall. It's complete fine though. Other than that, he is holding a stick with a representation of Songbird Serenade who looks like a musician I knew back on Earth. "Presenting Songbird Serenade!"

He began to pretend to be the jam, but proceeded to fall backwards off from the whiteboard. Dropping the stick and paper at the same time as he fell down. He did fall down on his back, and I can hear him groan weakly. "Ta-da..." He says before he starts to get up.

Twilight who saw that looked like it was only a small mistake in her proposal, but managed to get it through. She extends the both of her wings and smiles as if she was thanking an imaginary audience with a 'That's all, folks' kind of ending to a play.

"And yet again... I don't have any part or ability that I possess..." I can hear Nightmare grumbling to herself, still putting on a smile.

Luna did break the silence once again after the awkward silence. "So you're saying you want us to move the sun and the moon for the party." She sounded confused.

"Well, I'd do it myself, except I don't have your magic." Twilight snort nervously for a moment.

"Twilight," Celestia spoke with her calmly. "Each of us uses our powers to serve Equestria in our own way," She and the princesses show the colored auras that they channel from their horns, even Nightmare herself. "You are the Princess of Friendship. You already have all the magic you need."

"So..." She begins to look nervously. "That'd be a no?"

"Come on mom," I finally managed to speak out, stepping forward to approach my mother. "It sounded like she has a great idea to her own defense." I know from saying it that Twilight's cheeks are probably pink with glee from hearing me say that.

My mom could only shake her head, but keep the smile on her face. "Not a chance Brayden, that's something Twilight is going to have to re-think."

From there, I knew there was one thing that could try to convince her, and that was my failed attempt at doing puppy dog eyes. But even when I did that, she wasn't falling for it. Luna herself looked like she was giggling silently to herself.

"I'm telling you, we aren't going along with the plan and that's final." She remained calm surprisingly. "If you want to be creative with Twilight, you can figure out something wth her that will enhance the Friendship Festival experience and that is our final word on it."

"Sorry..." Twilight awkwardly says, knowing that her proposal was a bit of a flop there.

Celestia giggles for a moment, using her magic to turn me around to face Twilight. "Now run along, we'll see you at the festival later today."

Twilight kept a smile on her disappointment and turns around with Spike right behind her. I was following her for a moment, but I turn around to look at Celestia once more. I ended up giving her another hug that I would see her later, even when Twilight used her magic to get me off from her so we can continue through the day of getting everything prepared.

After all, I'm eager to see the preparations for the Songbird Serenade performance, and even I haven't met her aside from Coloratura. Still, something to look forward to.

* * *

"Well, that proposal didn't go exactly the way I thought it would go, didn't it Brayden?" Twilight asked me while she was looking through the task list that went as far down to the ground, even as we stepped outside and were walking together. Spike was walking right next to her opposite side of me.

"You tried your best." Spike says to her. "I would have invited Ember if I could, but the diplomatics of Equestria and the Dragon Lands are still discussing something in the future."

"Everything is possible Spike." I said to him.

He groaned. "Just like how you say that maybe one day Rarity will fall for me..." He does put on a smirk. "But she will!"

"Alright there Romeo, but now is not the time to drag on about how much you love Rarity. That's not important right now, as the festival is more on that for the moment."

"Uh, yeah," Spike says as he knows already. "Why else would I have one part on the stage to introduce the night to everypony?"

I turn to look at Spike with a goofy smile on my face. "And hey, maybe that one part you are playing will actually impress your special somepony." I teased him, raising my eyebrows at him in suggestion.

He was quick to notice my tease, and a smirk crossed onto his face. I might have caught his cheeks turn a little pink, but I don't think I saw since Twilight blocked my view of him when slowing down a bit to read over the tea-dyed scroll of paper in front of her to look over all of the other things on the checklist that were yet to be done.

Ahead from us, we are approaching the stage that looks to be set up for Songbird Serenade's performance tonight. The stage itself looks to be grand and exquisite, even has the large tent set up backstage for the performer herself to get ready when all has gathered. The sky has a few clouds, but if I know Rainbow Dash and the weather ponies, they'll get it cleared for tonight.

There are a few stalls active as of the moment, with a few familiar faces operating them or trotting about like Roseluck, Lily Valley or even Mr. and Mrs. Cake themselves who are currently selling all kinds of goodies at a stall for even the cheapest price possible that everypony can afford.

Ahead of me at the side-front of the stage, I can see our other friends standing there in conversation. My close friend Applejack has a cart full of apple cider, which Rainbow swoops down by every flight she goes, drinking a mug full of that sweetness and then putting it back. I don't think they've even recognized us just yet, but we are approaching them at such a normal rate that they could turn their eyes to see us coming.

The shuffling of the scroll caught my attention and I turned to look back at Twilight as she was in study form. "Okay," She says to the both of us. "Just two hundred and eighteen things left to do and we're ready."

"Hey Twilight!"

The familiar voices that I knew myself could be heard just ahead of us when my head turned and eyes lifted across to see our friends right there with greetful smiles on their faces. It was all of our friends there: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy. They looked more than happy to see us, especially me. The look on the shy pegasus' face could tell that a sense of a warm yet friendly gesture was from her, her hooves nearly shuffling together when she saw me.

"Hello Spike." Rarity greeted to the baby dragon next to Twilight.

I can tell that Spike's cheeks began to blush because they were a little pink on them. "Uh..." He was nervous at first, chuckling a little bit. "Hi Rarity."

"How'd it go with the other princesses?" Applejack asked with the warm tone of her southern accented voice, putting down a mug of cider that I saw Rainbow Dash swiping from earlier for the pint of apple cider. She had just finished wiping it clean with a wet, clean cloth. "They like yer idea?"

"I bet they loved it!" Pinkie exclaimed proudly and excitedly, probably ready to burst if it was the answer 'yes'.

All Twilight could do was exhale a sigh, which I can tell sounded rather disappointed. "Not exactly," She spoke with that same expression with a mixture of worry. "They think I can make today perfect without their magic."

"And they are absolutely right darling," Rarity said, giving Twilight the best confidence that she had possible. "This festival is your brilliant idea and we know you're up to the task!"

"But what if I'm not?!" Twilight began to worry, and I placed my left hand onto her back to make sure that she calms down, but I don't think even that is working right now. "What if Songbird Serenade hates the stage?! Or nopony makes a new friend?! And if I fail at the festival, then who am I?!"

Geez Twilight... I love you, but you need to calm yourself. You really focus too much on predictions for what could go wrong, and most of the time nothing bad happens and something good comes of the way.

Pinkie was the first to come forward, pressing her nose onto Twilight's until they both fell to the tiled floor of the courtyard. "Twilight, look at me!" The pink pony commanded her to do, which she did as I could only stand there and watch. "This WILL BE the biggest celebration Equestria has ever seen! As the Princess of Friendship, you cannot fail!" She proceeded to point at her with a hoof as if graduation day was being relived over again, but with more determination heard in Pinkie's voice. "This day will define who you are, and all of us and Brayden will make absolute sure that you will make it alive! The pressure is intense! It's almost too much for any single pony to handle!"

Pinkie of course lets out a dramatic scream, and everypony who was with ear range that heard everything she was saying gasped in horror, even though they knew it was just Pinkie being Pinkie.

With a leap upward, she landed right back between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "So stop worrying, silly! If any, we are all here to help you!" She said with a giggle.

"Come on now Twilight, we've got a lot of work to do, and you know that we got this!" I said to her as I offered my hand to her. She of course takes my hand with her hoof and I help her up off of the ground.

Judging by the music in the background, I can tell that there was going to be a song, and I could tell that it was going to start by the background music with the orchestra. I turn to look at Applejack who approaches next to Twilight, and see her take in a breath before she began to sing.

 _It's time to show 'em what you've got_

Rarity approached afterwards after Applejack began to sing, opening her mouth to sing.

 _It's time to go and get things done_

Fluttershy seemed timid about singing at first, but seeing that she had approached and was next to me, I placed my right hand onto her back to give her a bit of confidence in doing so, as even her voice when she sings is beautiful.

 _But you don't have to do it on your own_

Knowing Pinkie of course, a smile grew onto my face when she squeezed in-between the group that have gathered.

 _'Cause you've got friends right here to make it fun_

I can see where this is going now, heheh.

 _We got this, you got this_

 _We got this together_

 _Sometimes the pressure gets you down and the clouds are dark and grey_

 _Just kick them off and let the sun shine through_

 _And scary as it seems, more help is on the way_

 _'Cause friends have friends that wanna help out too_

 _We got this, you got this_

 _We got this together_

 _It's the Festival of Friendship_

 _And we can get it done_

 _A festival that they won't forget_

 _A party to be proud of_

 _A day of games and fun_

 _Just you wait and see_

 _A magic day in perfect harmony_

 _You got this_

 _We got this together_

 _With friends and family, ya are never alone_

 _If ya need help, we've got yer back_

 _Ya can be honest, let yer problems be known_

 _'Cause ya got us to pick up the slack_

 _We got this_

I smiled when I heard Big Mac say his trademark "Eeyup!" but with proudness in his own tone of voice, especially with all of the apple treats on the table.

 _We got this together_

 _Pay attention to the details_

 _Every gem even-spaced_

 _Make the colors perfect_

Spike looks to be approaching one of the diamond-like jewels that were fashioned by Rarity and Coco who looks really happy to see me. " _Takin' one or two to taste!_ " He sneakily sang as he swipes a jewel off from the side of the stage.

 _Inside and out, beautiful throughout_

 _Generosity is what we're all about_

" _You got this._ " Spike sings with his mouth full of the jewel that he had taken and eaten, though he knew Rarity would probably be alright with it because she would replace it soon.

 _You got this_

 _We got this together_

When I saw Twilight flying upwards into the sky, I spread open my wings and join up with her as she begins to sing.

 _Today needs to be perfect, it all comes down to me_

 _I don't know if I'm ready for all the things they need me to be_

 _I am the Princess of Friendship, but that is more than just a crown_

 _It's a promise to bring ponies together_

 _And never let anypony down_

Back to Pinkie whom is already ready for her turn for this song, as she looked eager down there and excited as usual.

 _We've got an awful lot to bake_

 _Each pony needs a piece of cake_

 _Oh, wait! There's something better we can do_

 _We're gonna need some more supplies_

 _To make a really big surprise_

 _She'll be so shocked - she's sure to love it too_

 _You got this!_

 _We got this together!_

With all the voices of everypony beginning to sing, I can feel my spirit lifting inside to open up my mouth and begin to join them in song. Better now than never after all.

 _It's the Festival of Friendship_

 _Together we are one_

 _A day we will never forget_

 _And now everything is ready_

 _So when the day is done_

 _The weather_

 _The banquet_

 _The style_

 _And music_

 _All will be in perfect harmony!_

The entire song had ended with a bang, and I was already back on the tiled ground of the renovated castle courtyard where all of the festival was taking place. By bang, I had meant the sound of it that had come from the large cannon that was right behind Twilight unexpectedly.

She turns around to look upwards when she sees something falling towards her. I too look up to see cake coming right down towards her. She looks to be gasping, but knowing this, she has been through much MUCH worse than that. Could've been an anvil dropped on her head like when she was investigating Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkie Sense'.

The cake slammed right on top of her, with an audible yelp of surprise from her as more of the sweety goodness more onto it. When the cake had covered her up, I can hear a bit of a groan from within the cake which was her sounding not even surprised by this.

I made sure to take a step back as I saw that the cake was melting up quickly. Well, it is a summer day, and rather hot as well, so knowing Rarity too, she wouldn't want me to get dirty because she'd probably rant about me having particles of cake all over me. Of course the cake melts, spreading onto the tiles. Nothing the janitors can't clean though. I can hear gasps from ponies though as they have gathered around to see if Twilight was okay.

The mulberry coated alicorn pokes her head out from the pink cake herself, bits still dripping down from her mane and head as she looked right behind her, seeing the pink pony herself sitting in the large cannon and watching. "Pinkie!" She called out, sounding rather annoyed, but not on purpose.

"Oopsie!" Pinkie says, a smile still on her face, even when a lit candle lands on top of her, above her horn. "Guess my easy bake confetti cannon needs a little bit more fine tuning!"

Haha... easy bake.

Twilight grumbles for a moment, blowing out the candle as she begins to crawl out from the messy cake. Still has her new crown on her though, which looks beautiful as she is.

"Songbird Serenade?" I can hear somepony in the crowd say out loud which came to my attention. "Is it really her? It is, it is!"

"Where?" I asked, looking around until I saw three figures coming forward in the crowd, with others making way for this familiar looking pegasus to come forward and introduce herself.

This lime greenish white coated pegasus had a mane style that looked rather almost bushy in a way that it covered her eyes, so I question how she is able to see through that mane of hers. The color of her mane is very dark persian blue with dark greyish persian blue highlights and two tones of pale gold with light gamboge highlights. A bow of pink is there on the back of her head, and her cutie mark is related to music as I thought it would be. Only difference, she is wearing clothes that look very popstar like.

Her two bodyguards accompanying her look like characters from a movie that I knew about back on Earth, especially the bodyguard with the poofy black mane and clean beard.

"Hiya," The popstar greets all of us. "I'm lookin' for the pony in charge?"

Cameras from the Equestrian paparazzi and tabloids were there, all taking pictures of the pegasus, who begins to pose for all of the photos that are being taken, until they stop a few seconds later.

"I need to set up for my sound check." Songbird said, looking quite happy to see Twilight, but hasn't noticed me yet standing there.

"Ms. Songbird Serenade?" Twilight says, moving out from the mess and keeping within a few hooves not to get the mess spread to her. "Um, I was just going to check on you." She laughed nervously and began to make the introduction of herself. "I'm Princess Twilight, and sorry about the mess. I'm usually not so..."

There was a pause and a gasp from the audience, but even my eyes saw everything that had unfolded before her. She was just moving her hoof in conversation when a small splatter of cake on them had flung over onto Songbird's shirt, and even the alicorn looked rather embarrassed with an awkward smile to say the least.

Songbird on the other hoof, looked quite impressed. "Caked in cake?" She joked for a moment after the shock coming from the audience.

"You have visual on buttercream?" Her first bodyguard looks at the mess on her.

"Visual confirmed, go for cleanup." I can hear her second bodyguard who I knew was Whinnyfield back in Ponyville saying. He trots forward, wiping the mess off of her shirt, making it clean as possible... as if the mess never happened.

I just had to make a turn to get Songbird's attention for the fact that she had never seen an Equestrian human like me before, even in the beginning when I first came to Equestria. "Songbird?" I called her name.

Her face turns to look at me when I was approaching, still with a friendly smile right on her mouth. "Sorry to step in and interrupt, but my name is Brayden. I'm practically the only Equestrian human there is to live here, well there are my other human friends but they're from Earth, and I am the husband of Princess-"

"Twilight," She interrupted me, offering her hoof forward for a hand-hoof shake. "I've heard so much about you! How you had redeemed Nightmare Moon, practically everything you've done! It's great to meet you at last, as I have had a question to ask you. Practically had it lingering in my mind for a long while now."

I smiled. "I'm open to any question. What is it?"

"I do need another performer on stage, and I figured you could be the one who help me out with a song. Are you interested?"

My mind ponders for a moment to think about it, and I look at her opening my mouth to say my decision.

The distant clap of thunder seems to catch me, her and practically everypony off guard. There is the sounds of gasps from everypony as they begin to change their viewpoint towards the open clear blue skies. I too look up to see what it is that had made the sound of thunder, as the day is supposed to be clear.

Just across in the sky, there is a dark yet murky brown appearance of clouds crawling into the scene from the South-West, and even I am surprised as to see that none of the Equestrian Air Force were here, as I know they had their duties. Why would they not take down this cloud that was approaching above Canterlot?

A gasp of surprise was heard from Twilight when she had looked up to see it coming this way. "Storm clouds? I ordered perfect weather!" She turns to the culprit whom she thinks is just trying to prank as obvious when it came to pranks. "Rainbow Dash?!" She had a tone of warning in her voice that she was in big trouble if this was her doing.

The scared look on the rainbow maned pegasus pony proved otherwise when she turned around, sounding rather fearful by the look of the clouds. "Uh... I... don't think those are storm clouds."

I looked a little closer by each step that I took, my bare feet touching into the messy cake. I really wanted to see if there was anything within those clouds that were causing trouble. It better not be Garble and his own dragon friends trying to prank us, as Ember is still establishing good relations with Equestria itself from the dragonlands.

Wait... a glowing symbol of arctic blue streaks within the cloud?

By the time I could see it, I was already shocked to see that it was a large figure coming out from the smoke itself which looked to have left its trail and began to slowly gather above the city of Canterlot, giving it a dark and rather ugly impression on its arrival. But what really caught my attention was the color on the figure and the symbol... it looks to be supported by a large blimp of some sort...

It's... it's a skyship... this doesn't look good.


	8. Here Come the Vultures

The skyship above was beginning to descend down towards the tiles below. The balloon that supported the ship itself from above its body was a moderate rose color for it, aside from the blackened armor at its front along with the symbol there. The smoke that it had been producing begins to spread out among the sky, covering up the blue that it was in for the beautiful afternoon.

"Ooooh!" I can hear Pinkie jumping excitedly with a smile on her face, an eager yet delighted tone in her voice. "I bet those are the clowns I ordered!"

It doesn't look to be the clowns she ordered, considering that the ship that was descending down towards the courtyard, had knocked down over some architecture in the process, which in turn had crush the materials that the clowns were later going to use, that Pinkie had even spent her hard-earned bits to set up.

"Or definitely not the clowns I ordered!" She looks worried now, being her own cyan colored eyes have seen the damage done.

From the collapsing of the architecture, the skyship looks to be slowing down to an in-flight halt. Its speed lowers as the bottom of the hull approached close by the tiled floor. Then, a hiss from the engines and the operation of the flying vehicle looks to have stopped completely, except for the side which looked to be opening.

I can hear the sound of hooves right behind me, as my head turned briefly to look at whom it was. It's the princesses no doubt, coming forward to confront the supposed danger that was present in their own kingdom. None had seen such a thing like this before, and if they were a threat or not, it would be wise of them to make the first contact with whomever this was flying the ship.

A large plank that allowed access on or off the skyskip was set onto the grounds of the courtyard, creating cracks around the tiles that it had impacted. From the interior of what I could see down here with everypony else, it looks rather hazy inside, featuring a tone of dark purple? It's hard to tell...

"Stay behind me Brayden," Celestia tells me, standing in front of them. "I don't know who this is, but by the smoke it's left behind in the trail, I have a bad feeling about this."

"You don't say..." Nightmare suggested, her cyan cat eyes giving off a look that stated the obvious along with that tone in her voice that sounded like she already was given the idea.

From the haze of dark, deep purple within the skyship, there looks to be a shadow at first from what I could see. The shadow became color, and it looked to be a huge speaker of some sort along with a small being carrying it by the side with its two chubby arms. Eager to hear what this being would say, I as well as everypony else are patient enough with how slow and with the struggle that it was under with the speaker.

Must have been twenty-five seconds long in regards to the being getting down off of the iron plank. Only when he places the speaker down and extends it do we see the little one's face.

The being whom held a microphone in his right hand, was nothing more than a dark grayish cobalt blue pug-faced hedgehog alone with a white mohawk. He has arctic blue eyes and it almost looks like he eats a little too much, because he does look a bit fat. He has armor for his torso, with only a cut on the left ear which looks to be present in appearance. His dark armor holds the same symbol that was seen on the front of the skyship. Nowhere in Equestria do I believe that I have a hedgehog like these before, unless they do exist outside of the enchanted lands somewhere in Abyssinia.

The microphone rang for a bit, and with a clearing of his throat, the hedgehog began to speak to all of us. "Ponies of Equestria!" His voice appears to call out, with the speaker booming his voice all across the courtyard where those in attendance of the Friendship Festival could hear. "Far from here, we come on behalf of the fearsome, the powerful, the almighty..." On the side of the skyship's balloon, we could see a flag drop before us, yet to unveil who this was as the image was unfurling. "...Storm King!"

The appearance on the flag had cleared when I can hear the frightened gasps and panic that was starting to stir from everypony behind me. Turning my head a bit, I can see a few fillies gathering with their mothers in hopes that this will all end quickly or this was just a prank after all. But by the seriousness of the situation and the smoke... yeah, I don't think that this is a prank after all.

"And now, to deliver the evil, evil message of the Storm King himself, and this very fleet he's sent guided by his all-mighty chosen of his..." The hedgehog continued. "Put your hooves together, for the honorable Takeo, and Commander Tempest!"

The hedgehog puts down the microphone to the speaker, standing to the side as two shadows began to form in that dark purple haze again. When color came onto the shadows, I was quite shocked to see what these two figures were.

For the tall one on the left side from what I could see... it's a human just like me. He doesn't seem to be Equestrian in blood by the looks of it, but I'm just as shocked to see that he has wings... like me. His hair is black, but his eyes are just like the hedgehog's... an arctic blue in the iris. His armor is dark, and on his side, I can see a blade that he himself possessed almost like me. Only difference is, it's not a claymore like the Song of Order. I can't quite see what the blade looks like unless he wielded it in his hands, but judging by the mithril-like pommel, it doesn't look good.

To the right though, looks to be an Equestrian that trots out into the public eye. It's a female which I did expect, and it looks to be a unicorn whom is also armored around her coat up to her neck. She has a scar on her right eye, so I can tell she's been through a lot. One feature of her really stands out, and it is the broken horn that sparked with magic when she blinked and looked down at all of us.

"Is that... a unicorn? ...And a human?" I can hear Spike behind me, Twilight having been right behind me the whole time with him right beside her watching the whole thing. "A human like you, Brayden..."

"It can't be..." I was confused when I responded to him. "When I returned to Equestria with three of my friends, they are human, but I made sure that they were in contact when I brought them. I... I don't understand how he got into Equus. Almost impossible to get here without the aid of powerful Equestrian magic."

"What happened to her horn?" Twilight asked, sounding curious as I brought my attention back forward.

Celestia and the other princesses take one or two steps forward, their eyes set onto the unicorn who stood there above there, protected by the human whose feathered wings are not colorful but black all around, even from his own long hair that must have taken a lot to grow out. I swear the human whom is named Takeo saw me right behind my own mother but had not taken a step of action to doing anything yet. Only difference is that he doesn't have a beard, like I do that I have grown over the time of living here. All just a clean shave.

"Tempest, is it?" My mother opened her mouth and was the first to speak with the commander. The look on her face kept serious, but unsure if this was truely a threat or not before her eyes that had intruded into her kingdom. "How can we help you?"

The dark orchid unicorn kept that smile on her face when her moderate opal colored eyes, which stood out among the arctic blue color that both the hedgehog and the human had. "Oh, I'm so glad you asked," She says, wiping that smile off of her face before continuing. "How about we start with your complete and total surrender?"

Quietly, the sound of hooves were coming by me, trotting around behind Luna and Nightmare Moon to see what could be done in this kind of situation that everypony had put themselves into. I wanted to stop her if this was danger, even by the sound in Tempest's voice. But being her as a princess, I decided to let her go first. I'll be keeping a close eye on everything though.

"Why are you here?" Nightmare demanded almost instantly for an answer. "Wherever you three had come from, we surely do not want any trouble from you."

"Believe me when I say this, but there are plenty more in the ship than you think, and even the reinforcements will come by my own command. I wouldn't act out just yet, princess." Tempest responded to her.

"Must I tell everypony, and now you... that I am not a princess?!" Nightmare sounded rather aggressive, and wanted to charge forward in an attack. Luna stops her from going forward and in good timing, as the last thing she would want to do is trigger a war with this 'Storm King' against all of us for harming his commander. Plus, Takeo wouldn't take this action so lightly should she had done the first move against Tempest.

"Temper..." Tempest joked with the black alicorn, getting both a glare and an agitated yet protective growl from Nightmare.

"Hi there!" Twilight finally comes forward, hoping to resolve something and try to amend a small yet temporary peace treaty. If any, she had managed to make allies from Yaks in Yakyakistan and the Dragons in the Dragon Lands with Ember on the wheel. She could definitely pull something together. She sounded only a little nervous as she spoke. "Princess of Friendship. Not sure exactly what's going on, but I know we can talk things out."

"Oh goody," Tempest looks at her and then all of the other alicorns in front of her from above on the plank. "All four princesses... and a princess that claims that she isn't a princess."

This really angered Nightmare Moon again. "Why that little-" She channels magic to her horn to try and fire at her with a bolt of magic, but as usual, Luna has to keep her from lashing out, even at her own enemies.

"Easy there Nightmare..." Luna says to her with a calm, yet firm tone in her voice.

Tempest looking at the princesses, finally got me in her sights and a smile crossed onto her mouth. "And is that... a human boy that I am seeing before my own eyes? A human boy, in the land of Equestria, being friends with all of you?"

Celestia gasped and turned to see that she had let down her guard, exposing me before the broken horned commander, and now in her sight. I could catch Takeo from the iron plank, moving his left hand and gripping it onto the mithril pommel of his sword should I try anything funny or try to run.

"That boy... is my son." She warns Tempest, opening her right wing to cover me behind her. "He may help to protect all of us, but I'm not going to risk losing him to you."

"Well, what a shock yet such a surprise to know something that was never told to me before, except only in the newspapers... from before I became the Storm King's great commander," She changed her tone once again after having been informed. "Here's the deal ladies, I need your magic. Give it up nicely please... or we make this difficult, for everyone!"

I was surprised at both the fact that she did not refer to all of us as everypony, but of that as a normal 'everyone' that was normally said on Earth in regards to humanity. The other that I was surprised over was when she began to threaten this time, and it is something that wouldn't really be tolerated here in the enchanted lands.

By this point, where's Discord or the Wonderbolts to catch them by surprise? Actually wait, I remember that the draconequus would be on vacation at this time and wouldn't be here or at home in his 'realm' where he resided.

"And why should we cower before you?" Luna stepped forward with question, not really taking the threat so lightly. "There's only you, your human ally and that hedgehog. Three of you, against all of us. What choice would you even have?"

Nightmare looked uneasy, even after she had said that. "I have a bad feeling about this now..."

There was a chuckle coming from Tempest's lips as she stepped forward down on the planks towards all of us. Celestia and Cadence looked ready to fight if absolutely necessary, even from the slow approach of the commander here. "I was hoping you'd choose... difficult."

From the shadows, I could see the arctic blue dotted eyes peeking out with a glare upon them. A shade of what looks to be a spear can be barely seen, though I was sure that this didn't seem good, especially with the sound of the same engines that I had heard from the skyship before. That Takeo seems to be ready to bring out his blade, waiting for my first move.

There are more gasps from the ponies behind me, even from the glimpse of looking up into the smoke covered sky above, and to my horror I couldn't even believe that such a thing was possible in even my own time living here in Equestria: There were many skyships above... it's an invasion that we just got ourselves wrapped into!

Those two spear-handling shadowed figures that I saw aboard Tempest's ship begin to step into the light, along with the sounds of their unintelligible grunts and growls. Their arctic blue dotted eyes behind their masks are glaring at all of us. They are completely covered with white fur except their claws and feet, which almost look like the Storm King himself, a cross between... a yeti-satyr? Even their boss looks that way honestly.

Screams began to fill among the crowd when I had turned around to see what exactly was going on, especially with the rumbling that had shook the tiles below. My mouth had dropped, and I'm almost never able to say a single word at all...

Hundreds... if not thousands more of these furred brutes slam down from their skyships above to swipe at the civilization of ponies, as well as hopping along the architecture of the refurbished courtyard, their arms reached out to grab as many ponies as they can while sharing garbled yet deep voices to one another like a team.

I turn back around to see what else Tempest was up to. She looks to be leaping upwards into the air, taking out a blackened ball of what supposedly is to be energy with green shapes that would rapidly change within. With a fierce look on her face, her hoof kicks the energy ball not towards me, but to my own worry and shock, Princess Cadence!

Cadence was quick enough to channel magic to her horn, creating a temporary shield that would block the energy ball as soon as it slammed into her magic that defended her. But by the looks of that ball, it looks to be like there is no giving up for me... just like a heat-seeking missile that follows you until you're destroyed unless outsmartened.

The pink alicorn is trying, but looks to be struggling with her magic as the energy ball is making its way right towards her. "Can't hold it... much... longer!" She says, trying to keep her magic focused as it crackled and continued to stress from the amount of power the energy was contained in the orb.

Everything was going by so fast before my own eyes... the shield she had created, shattered apart and faded away like dust as if it was nothing for the energy ball. It had slammed right into the Princess of the Crystal Empire, and there was a load of dark gray building up around her as it climbed to enclose her like a cocoon. There had been a scream when she was hit with that strange energy, and I could only watch in horror as she became petrified into nothing more than a statue.

Knowing now of Tempest's intentions, I turned to look at her on that iron plank that was cast down from her ship earlier. Her eyes are still set towards the princesses, but I knew the direction by that look. For even a brief glimpse, I could see her next move being directed for... Nightmare!

There is a growl right behind me, and even the Song of Order; my claymore that was on my back sang for that moment of danger that awaited to attack. I twist around with a leap, quickly grabbing the blade by the pommel, and swiping at whomever was right behind me.

It was nothing more than one of those furred brutes that I knew nothing about. I had sliced right across their face, knocking out a piece of their mask. That one had stumbled backwards for that moment upon taking it all in from the damage I have done to him. His response was merely looking at me again, looking much more furious with a snort from his nostrils underneath the mask.

My wings open up, leaping backwards to knock the creature to the tiles. My intentions remain quite clear with me that I had to stop Tempest who was ready to petrify Nightmare. I wasn't going to let somepony I love get put into harm's way like that. I fly backwards for a moment before turning to head directly towards the broken horned unicorn who was ready for a shot at the black alicorn who didn't know what to do, but attempt to run away.

"NO!" I shouted at the unicorn herself as I flew closer at a fast pace to her. My blade was ready to strike at her, but I could feel something grapple onto me, tossing me afar into the middle of all the panic as ponies were starting to run away in fright or be captured by the monsters.

Slamming right onto the tiles, the grip that tossed me was right there, holding me down tightly as I struggle to move from the spot. My chest felt a bit beaten, but it wasn't too painful. Still, it did hurt. I could only turn my head to see that it was Takeo standing right there above me, pinning me down with that blade of his pointed directly right in my face. In his other hand that was free, there was an illuminating glow of blue... kind of like my hand when I cast spells with the Song of Order using part of its magic from there. Only difference, is that mine is more lighter... his being a darker haze of blue.

His black wings furl, and then he speaks to me in a tone that I surprisingly haven't heard from him. "Do not get up and help them," He warned me with a threat in his voice. "Do it, and I assure that your death will be fast and quick."

"Why... would you do this..." I struggled to get out as his amount of power is much stronger by his own strength than my own.

"It is the Storm King's will that I serve him under." He says to me, those haunting blue eyes looking down at me, even as I turn my head to see what was happening with the sound of the energy ball being tossed towards the black alicorn.

The orb slammed right into her, and my heart began to pound with fear as I watched Nightmare scream and reach out for me as she was being petrified. She tried to come out further in the escape, but was stopped by the magic and was completely sealed up and unable to move, frozen like a statue... just like with Cadence.

"NIGHTMARE!" I called out to her with my arm reaching to her. Too late only for me though, as me being pinned down was the only obstacle preventing me from protecting the black alicorn, though I swear that her half-magic did try to wart off one of the monsters.

Takeo brought his blade closer, but to my neck. "Look at you, acting all like a guardian of the realm for these little ponies. Why continue to be their pawn?" He says to me, his tone still very much threatening.

I look right back at him from below the ground. My left hand is the only one free while the right hand is gripping onto the Song of Order and trapped while pinned. I could ward him off of me, but I would only have one shot at this... otherwise he would kill me then and there, which I was sure he was intending to do.

"Because..." I grunted for a moment as I began to feel magic from the blade transfer into that hand. "Because I am one with them!"

He tried to react quickly, but was late when I shot a burst of magic to the tiles, which threw me upwards, slamming right in front of him, drawing his blade away from my neck as he lost his focus from the move I made. I heard no grunt from him, but only him being thrown back as was I. Caught myself when flying upwards, turning around to face the black haired warrior.

Takeo had fallen to the ground, but lifted up his legs and threw himself back onto his feet. The Song of Order that I was carrying was glowing gold as it did when in battle along with the writings on the silver blade itself. His does not have any writing, but the edges glow blue and leave a bit of its magic flying as he moved it. We were directed right against one another as the monsters that he and Tempest brought do not interfere, and focus on continuing with the task of gathering up our friends.

I ran forward, thrusting forward with my claymore in the offense, which he strikes at in a blocking motion. His teeth look to grit as my attack failed and he makes his move to attack me which I blocked in return, just like one of those sword fights back in the movies on Earth. With the attack - defense that we were positioned in for, both of our attacks by blade look tied, with some weak spots from me exposed.

He kicks me down with a foot, but I roll backwards onto my feet. He does put on a smile. "Ah, a skilled warrior like me, hm? Surely you could do better!" He mocks me, running forward and swiping right at me.

I jumped backwards as he swipes at me, clashing his blade with mine multiple times in the process. I couldn't exactly take my eyes off of him even if I wanted to, in order to see if my mother, wife and aunt were also affected by these orbs as well, but I was completely in ear range for what would be said with all of them. The strikes of the blades seem to tune out some of it, even among the panic.

Not even a glimpse of Tempest on her next move could be seen, but knew it wouldn't be good with both Cadence and Nightmare petrified.

"Luna!" I can hear my mother call out to her aunt. "Go south of Equestria, find help from the hippo-"

She had been caught off by her own scream when I could sense that she had been hit, and had become petrified by the sound of it. Another swipe of the blade, and I backflip away from Takeo for a moment to check before he could attack again on the offense.

Celestia had become petrified, looking rather terrified in that statue form she had just been turned into. Luna on the other hoof, looks to be getting herself surrounded by the furry beasts. I can hear her using magic to attack them in return, galloping away from them. Her wings are open and I knew she was going to make haste into flight.

Tempest was now in view when she was preparing another orb to throw directly at my aunt. I couldn't make any direct moves towards her however, because Takeo was there to assure no harm would be done to her. He was basically a shield for her, and was more powerful and skilled at the blade than I.

From a glimpse in his right hand, I can tell he was ready to release a burst of magic at me, by the color of arctic blue. He makes his move, blowing me backwards to the wall while I caught the orb flying upwards like a heat-seeking missile towards my aunt.

Another hit was made for the night princess as she tried to leave mid-flight, falling downwards towards the stage that had been set up for Songbird Serenade during the petrification into nothing more than a frightened statue. She fall through the top of the stage, close to hitting the ground, which by chances would have shattered her to pieces.

Thankfully, Twilight was there to ensure that it didn't happen when her magic had caught onto Luna herself, frozen and gray like the statue she had been turned into. "LUNA!" I can hear her shouting with fear as she was doing all she could to gently place her down onto the stage as slow as she could.

But I saw that look on Tempest's face... that cruel grin as her eyes were now focused onto the only alicorn who hasn't been petrified. I knew that the one that I loved dearly was in true danger and was exposed without knowledge so far that there would be one of those orbs flying directly at her.

Takeo was directly in the way, coming forward to clash at me again with his blade. His magic is still shown from the glow of the hand he fired at me from. So if I'm going to have to stop that next orb from petrifying Twilight, I would have to force him out of my way, and jump to make the sacrifice of being the statue instead. He moves his blade back, ready to strike at any given moment and knew it was time to act.

The Song of Order transferred some of its magic to my left hand, allowing me to move it forward for a burst of it right at his face. Takeo was knocked back, covering his face temporarily. I moved forward, pushing him to the floor but not without the claymore I held cutting him across the cheek which would be enough to leave a scar.

Just as Tempest leapt into the air for the next shot, I was able to begin running from Takeo who had kept me from being involved with the attacks Tempest had made on the princesses, especially Nightmare which really angered me to see that she would turn her into a statue and left as a laughing display for these furry beasts that are continuing to grab at everypony among the panic.

I didn't stop, but caught the glimpse of her flipping mid-air, with her hoof kicking the orb directly towards the distracted Twilight. I can feel my heart racing and my speed accelerating into a sprint as everything slows down around me. I swear that I could see Derpy galloping towards the scene as well.

"TWILIGHT!" I call out to her in warning. The orb began to move closer towards her, even when I made the jump to block it from even touching her. I can still see that sinister grin upon Tempest's face as she landed back onto the tiles below. Ready to see myself become the petrified, which I'd rather be... there was another voice calling out.

It sounds a lot like Rainbow Dash...

I believe that a hoof grabbed me from behind, because I could feel myself zipping right away from the line of fire that the orb would slam into me from. Everything is speeding up again as I turn around, seeing that it was Rainbow Dash herself that had caught both me and Twilight. That's good... at least there are friends who don't want anything bad to happen to either of us.

"Oh! Thanks for the lift!" I said to her as the rainbow maned pegasus flew to get away from that area as fast as her wings could fly.

* * *

 **Takeo's POV**

I move towards the giant cloud of smoke that had covered up the princess, the cut visible and bleeding on my cheek. It's not enough to get me down because I'm not weak like that coward who ran from me was. Brayden... an interesting name for a human. If I wasn't restrained to either capturing him alive or dead, I would have used one of the orbs to petrify him and use him as a prize for the Storm King to display.

Tempest looks to have a satisfied look on her face when she too approached the cloud of smoke. She did of course, land on all four of her hooves as I had seen when I got up off the ground. With no other action and the other mooks distracted with capturing the rest of the ponies, I sheathed my sword and joined up with the commander.

"Easy as pie." She remarked with a smile on her face.

"Oh, I love pie." Grubber says, right behind me to see everything and the unveiling of the princess in stone once the smoke was lifting.

She turns to look at me. "Did you take the son of that princess down?" She asked.

Disappointment, but with a rather harsh look was seen from my own eyes. "No, he must have got away, but I can sense he is not too far behind. He is still in the courtyard, on the run."

The smoke lifted up to show that it was a shocked, yet petrified statue of a pony. "Oh, you totally got the princess!" Grubber cheered on the commander... at least until it was a party hat upon the statue's head that slipped off, revealing it to not be the princess that Tempest had petrified. It was that of a pegasus in Princess Twilight's place instead.

"That's not the princess..." Tempest growls loudly for all of us to hear, shocked and angered to see that the fourth princess slipped from her hooves. She turns around, practically barking at the little hedgehog. "GRUBBER! Get her... NOW!"

The little hedgehog shook with a chill from hearing his commander's voice barking at him. With no hesitation, he turned to the mooks who weren't currently doing anything at the moment while the others jump at the ponies to capture them. "Come on guys! We got to get the princess!" He calls out to them as he runs off in pursuit of wherever she and her friends went.

From upwards in the skies, among all of the other skyships brought along was the grand flagship of my honored king himself, the Storm King. Larger than all of the other ships within the vicinity, and moving ahead to position itself up beside the castle. My master is here, and awaiting for the prize I would give to him, which is the human. Tempest would bring him the princesses in stone, but first she must capture the last princess.

"Takeo! Take pursuit with Grubber and get that princess! You don't want to disappoint the Storm King now, do you?" Tempest suggested to me.

"Right away, Commander!" I said to her, spreading open my wings and tracking down where the human and princess went off to in the area.

* * *

 **Brayden's POV**

We were away from the disaster area where everything had been happening for the past couple of minutes. However, we are not exactly clear from the danger that was giving us heavy pursuit. There are many of the furred brute chasing after us with the hopes of grabbing us, not to mention Takeo who was following behind to lead the charge.

I had taken notice of the largest skyship they had in the smoke-covered sky above, and I figured that might be most of their troops that they have brought along for the invasion, which hasn't been this big since the Canterlot Wedding years before my arrival. It doesn't look good since we all will be swarmed with the brutes in no time. With Takeo and Tempest, our chances of escaping will not be good unless we managed to leave right away and with success.

Gripping the Song of Order still in my hand, I swiped at one of the brutes to knock him back for a moment as we continued running. But the number of the brutes never seem to come to a halt. They were come down from the rooftops, growling at us to stop and surrender, and even then me and Twilight were the ones protecting the group, while Twilight is also the one in danger's way.

"This way!" Pinkie shouts at all of us as we turn in another direction which is to the right. One of the brutes tries to swipe at me, but narrowly missed as my running turns into a sprint, running at the same speed as every one of my friends.

My feet are starting to tire a bit, and I am sure that everypony else is tiring as well from the galloping. We couldn't give up though, or we would be captured and Celestia knows what could happen if we were. The worst I know would be seeing my wife getting petrified into stone and letting her magic get taken from her without approval.

Just ahead of us is a tiled bridge ahead that would bring us to one of the castle's towers. From there, Twilight and the princesses knew of a safe passageway that would aid us in our escape from Canterlot, and from all danger that has now plagued it. I know this, because Twilight would normally brag about it whenever talking about the castle design blueprints that Celestia sent months before the renovation she had the throne room and castle put under.

One of the brutes' black spears nearly tore right through me as I was passing by the corner of the building. I use my free hand to grip onto the handle of the spear and pull it hard to throw the masked brute down to the tiles below. I jump right over with a flip, slicing a nasty cut on its back. He howls with pain, but stumbles back up to continue the pursuit as slow as he could. Still, there is a great expanded number of these creatures, ready to kill me if they weren't taking orders.

Passing the arch to the bridge, we are already almost there and halfway across when the brutes have us cornered at both turns. We couldn't go back and we couldn't go into the tower, it was a trap we had essentially ran into. All had spears in their possession, blocking our escape with no way out. If we jumped over the bridge into the water, it would be suicide.

Landing in front of us from the tower door, Takeo himself pierced upon us with a glare as his blade he held in his right hand flashed in the sunlight and glowed blue. His free left hand, was channelling all magic and ready to fire upon us at any moment. I had the Song of Order powered with its own enchanted magic, transferring magic to my free hand that gripped onto the pommel.

"Got nowhere else to go now!" He shouted at me as the brutes beside him and behind us, point their spears at all of us, cornering us further. "Now hand over the princess, or else!"

My teeth grit together as I look at his face, his cheek still bleeding from the cut I gave to him. "We're never giving Twilight to you, nor that commander or king of yours!" I had fury in my voice when I yelled back at him in response.

I can hear a horn channel magic and then with a grunt coming from Twilight, she blasted a beam of magic right at Takeo who just stood there and waited for the first move. The beam had struck him in the chest. All he could do was continue to stand there, a smirk of amusement coming onto his face.

"Is that all you can give me, princess?" He taunted her with a small chuckle. "Now, I will show you all an example of my power!"

He opens his hand's fingers more outward, an aura of blue starting to swirl around Twilight. I was quick to notice, as I knew he was trying to hold Twilight hostage and let us get captured at his own will. I jumped right to the side and onto my wife, just as she was moving towards him.

The aura disappears, and both me and her fall onto the tiles below. Switching my hands with my blade, I fired a burst of magic at him from my own hand, knocking him back a few steps. There are growls from the furred brutes, as they sound intimidated for the fact that I hit the Storm King's warrior.

Angered as he was before in my combat with him, he unleashed a much larger burst at us, sending it to the tiles for a bit of a warning. The kind that if I did that again and didn't surrender... I really don't want to picture that.

The tiles below us cracked up and then fell apart into pieces. Twilight and I who were on the floor, were now falling downward. Our friends were practically screaming as we began our descent down into the stream.

My view of the smokey sky above as I fell were for only a second or two until my vision was covered by the sight of water rushing downward as I had sunk below the water.

I was submerged underwater with everypony as the stream pulls us down. I move out of Twilight's way to allow her to go up and get air as I was going to do as well. Applejack and Rarity could be seen in my line of vision as I swam upwards to break past the surface.

Taking breaths in and out after getting out from underwater, I look around to check up on my friends to see if there are doing alright. They are also getting air, but it didn't look good by the look of the stream that was taking us. Having been in Canterlot for a long time, I knew of the danger ahead that everypony had been careful about.

We were headed for a waterfall!

I couldn't just fly out from the water and get everypony to safety, because Takeo and the other brutes were still on our case and we would be easily captured if I was to do that. Only a small chance there would be if we were to take it down the waterfall and out of the vicinity of Equestria's capital.

"Hang on to me!" I shouted to them and swam in the group.

Rarity is rather surprised. "Are you absolutely crazy Brayden?!"

Even when they are underwater, I slowly move open my wings around my friends. My wings, though damp; had pulled them closer to me as if in a wing-hug. Closing in on the edge, I can only hold them with dear life in case this really was it. We actually were going to fall off a waterfall, even for the first time in my life.

We had been floating at first, but once we were blinded by the rise of the water submerging us back underwater for a moment. Swimming for one moment, and now... falling with only the heavy amount of water pouring down on us as we descend to the lake from such a large height not even an Earth pony would survive. Rarity of course, was screaming the worst which felt like we were on our way straight to death itself.

I close my eyes, hoping for a miracle...

* * *

 **Takeo's POV**

My boots land onto the rocks near the edge of the waterfall. From the impact it creates, dust flies for a moment and dies down back onto the rough, yet smooth edges. Having seen what just happened there when the bridge had collapsed, I watched as they went up for air, aware of what would happen to them.

Fallen to their watery graves? Perhaps. But even with that chance, I can sense that they might have survived. I can't tell... but their hearts could still be abeat.

I can hear more footsteps close by me. One that was almost quiet as it went beside me, and others from behind as they were more bigger in sound and thumping by every step they took. My eyes look down to see our hedgehog friend standing there, edging closer for a much bigger look down the waterfall.

The growling of the mooks are right there in the observations, ready in case of another strike if necessary. I mean, if they could take down the Wonderbolts while en route to Canterlot, then dealing with the human and his friends wouldn't be a problem. Grubber looks to be studying the outcome even he himself had witnessed.

"Which one of you guys is going down there?" Grubber suggested openly and with question to the mooks right behind me.

From behind me when I had turned, I can hear the mooks growl with disapproval and the insistance that the hedgehog runt do it for them as he looked rather annoyed with them for their answer.

Grubber sighed with that same tone as the look on his face. "I would, but I just had a hearty meal, and I will sink, and I will side-cramp," More disapproval came from the mooks as the hedgehog steps away from the rocks to join with them as they are walking away. Even the glares on their dotted blue eyes are seen. "I'm very big-boned. I sink quick."

I look down the side of the rocks one more time, looking down the waterfall for any trace of their survival. Even from afar up here, I can't really get a good look on the shapes down there, not any ripples or dots rising out from the water below. Only the sound of the rushing water and soft wind in the ears were all I could pick up.

A large sounding horn of thunder calls out from the flagship that was parked above the castle of this city, from where the Storm King would take his first step onto Equestria's land, like he did when he had conquered the other lands like Abyssinia or the Goat lands across the ocean. Now with the conquering of Equestria, he would finally achieve his dream of world conquest.

That horn call, was meant for myself... and Tempest who I know would want to update the Storm King on what has happened and the resistance of the princesses. He himself, knows of what he tasked me to do and will want to ask me about what I did about that human, Brayden who keeps those ponies protected.

Oh... he will be quite disappointed with me when I tell him about what has happened. I only know that I do not want to anger him. I turn around, opening up my wings and flying towards the castle, hoping that there will be an understanding in the end.


	9. And We Run

**Brayden's POV**

All of us were gathered outside from the small, quiet stream of river water after all of the running. I had already caught my breath and was standing there next to Twilight with her head down and her face reflecting upon the stream of water as well as I. It was almost as if she had failed...

In the stream coming up, I caught the glimpse of the Stetson-like hat of Applejack going along with the flow of the river. Being that one of my close friends had lost it on the way down the waterfall, she had been looking for it. It made sense since that hat of hers that even I know her by was passed onto her by her father. She stands there by the river, keeping an eye out for her hat and the direction it was going until even the light brown color was locked into sight.

The earth pony sets into the stream again, paddling her hooves underneath the surface of the water to catch up to her hat. A couple of splashes forward in the flow and she eventually uses her teeth to grip onto her accessory before it got too far past. She and I knew it would head towards one of Equestria's lakes, but it's better if she got it now than later on.

She turns around, wading out from the liquid and giving herself a shake. She was still wet, but it would dry off a little more faster than before. She places the hat onto the top of her head and trots back over to the group.

Everypony else were busy still trying to get over the events of what had just happened when Tempest and the airships had come into Canterlot. The biggest question for me to be wondering to myself: Where were the Wonderbolts during all of this? Any other line of defense that Equestria had for that matter weren't there to help out, so some of my worst fears had come true when I realized they were attending the festival defenseless when they attacked.

Rarity was continuing to catch her breath as I turn and watch Applejack approaching the group behind me and Twilight. She opens her mouth, and is the first to say something. "Everypony okay?" She asked.

"I think my bottom's on backwards." Rarity commented with only a bit of panic especially after we ran.

For my close friend Pinkie, she definitely looked to have seen worse from all this. "We just got our cupcakes handed to us by the worst party crasher ever!"

Rainbow was eager for more, especially after having been in the face of those ugly furred brutes. "We've got to go back there and fight!"

"Well, you all saw the size of those goons," Spike says, a tone of caution in his own voice. "You seriously want to go back?"

"So now what?" Applejack talked quietly with the group, with the others listening. "We can't hide here forever... 'N let's be honest... we can't go back. Look at what they did to the Princesses and Nightmare. Especially what that winged human tried to do to Brayden. We've got to keep 'em from him and Twilight."

In a way, Applejack was right about what Tempest was doing with these strange green orbs to petrify them, including both my mother and one of my loves. Even with the risk of Takeo possibly wanting to kill me, I knew that my wife was in danger as long as she wasn't a statue like the others. For me, this was my protective side kicking in... just as Twilight was there to protect me, I needed to protect her. But not just her, all of our friends in case we were caught.

I place my hand onto Twilight's mane, gently stroking it to ensure her that she would be okay with me and our other friends. She raises her head a bit, turning her beautiful violet eyes to look at me. She knew what exactly I was thinking, probably the same for me as well.

Compared to the Song of Order on my back, Takeo himself looked to overpower me by his own magic and blade skills. Even I could only give him but a single bloody cut across the face, but to him it looked to be nothing at least for him. He could be a bit of a challenge if he is looking for me as of right now. Being after the fall down the waterfall, I'm sure that would say otherwise.

Twilight's face of worry turned for a bit into one where she had put on her thinking cap as if something had come to mind for her. What was it that she was thinking about? Possibly a weak spot that not even Tempest could recognize herself? She turns around slowly to face our friends. My hand is removed off from her mane that I was gently stroking.

"The queen..." She wondered to herself in question out loud.

Our friend Pinkie is the first to speak out to the thoughts of the princess. "What queen?" She asked, now curious to know more.

I did recall something about the 'queen' in quote when my mother was calling out to my aunt to go flying off. Something about somepony of royalty before she ended up getting petrified. Perhaps another source that Equestria has had contact with?

Twilight trots a few steps along the river, looking out at Canterlot in its state of all the airships and the sickly smoke of clouds hanging above the whole city and castle, the flagship of the Storm Army hanging at the balcony of the throne room where I can easily recognize from that distance. She turns around and speaks. "Celestia told Luna to find the Queen of the... Hippos... Luna can't, so I'll have to."

"Uh, hippos?" Rainbow had an awkward look on her face. "Seriously?"

"I heard they're surprisingly graceful for their size," Pinkie says to us with still a bright smile on her own face as she stood right beside the rainbow-maned pegasus whose wings were flapping, hovering above the ground. "But they're always hungry."

Spike looks surprised. "Hungry?" He has a curious tone in his voice, whilst at the same time sounding a little fearful.

"Hippos?" Applejack practically finished the sentence, and already I could catch onto a pop culture reference which made me smile.

"They're somewhere south," Twilight says to us. "Past the Badlands."

Fluttershy begins to look very fearful in the topic of the lands beyond Equestria, as even the thought of it sounded very adventurous. But hey, who doesn't love an adventure once in a while? "That means we'll have to... leave Equestria!" She exclaimed with her soft, timid voice, almost hiding behind her mane, staying close by me.

"I'm not even packed!" Rarity was surprised, even though if possible she would be bringing thousands upon thousands of her fashion line with us, which will slow us down.

"I understand you're scared, and nopony has to go," Twilight calmly tells our friends, looking at the yellow pegasus beside me. "But I have to find this queen. She might be our only hope."

Being that she said that she was going to do this by herself, this of course meant that she would be left defenseless. So that initiative inside me sparked out the need to bring myself alongside her for this trip. I didn't know what lurked outside of our lands, but I knew that there was trouble waiting for her in terms of Tempest.

"You're not doing this alone," I said to her stepping forward, her eyes turning to look at me. "Putting yourself at great risk will only result in you getting hurt, or worse if Tempest gets her hooves on you."

"What about that Takeo fella?" Applejack asked me, looking at me. "We worry about ya too Brayden. What if somethin' bad happened to ya from him? Nah, Ah think we should all go with ya and Twilight."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, nudging me on the shoulder lightly with a smile. "Both of you are not getting all the glory. Remember, we're in this together no matter what! If Takeo tries to mess with you, I'll show him what for!"

"We got yer back." Applejack says with that honesty in the tone of her southern accented voice.

"Indeedy!" Pinkie sounds rather excited. "We'll need a compass to get us down south which... I have!" She pulls out a compass from her own mane. Kind of like how she would pull out random things for a tree trunk or a train compartment door filled with supplies like the warm blanket when I was freezing. You know... the time I got the Song of Order? That'll be something to tell more to the fillies once this is all over with.

Rarity looked brave. "I'm ready to save Equestria... again!"

"Yay!" There's that trademark line that I've wanted to hear from Fluttershy.

My wife's assistant Spike comes forward, looking quite happy to join with the group. "We're all behind you, Twilight." He says to her.

"Let's go find this hippo!" Pinkie exclaimed with excitement, bouncing up and down as she would as usual when living in Ponyville.

"Uh, south?" Spike suggested.

I forgot to pack for these kinds of things... but all of our stuff is in Ponyville back at the castle, and I don't thin any of us would want to risk going there, considering the Storm Army is most likely there in the conquest of Equestria. Manehattan? Not a chance, though I do worry about Coco if those furred beasts are there. I just hope she is safe. My other friends I brought to Equestria from Earth, I'm sure they will get to safety and get ready to defend themselves if necessary.

"Hold on!" I stopped the group just before they could even set a hoof forward. "I think we'll need the essential supplies if we are headed somewhere that we haven't even been to before. Like food, water, bedding..."

Pinkie zips towards a tree with an open hole in it. "No need to worry about that Brayden!" She tells me, digging out a backpack filled with stuff. "I always keep the 'Pinkie's Backpack for Adventuring in case of Adventuring' Backpack stashed everywhere in case of emergencies!" She tosses it over to me.

"Thank you Pinkie." I said to her as I move forward along with the rest of the group, joining beside Twilight and keeping close to her.

She turned to look at me for that moment, smiling when she had noticed the look of concern and worry on my face. This worry was for her and normally she would worry about me if I wasn't doing so well, practically giving me comfort when I felt that down.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, placing her hoof onto the top of my left hand, letting her hold it there.

"I am, just making sure you are," I said to her. "I want to keep you safe, because as of this moment you are most likely the number one target for Tempest. I... I don't want you to get hurt."

"You getting hurt is also one of my concerns, just as you were and are with the Timberwolves or the Dragon Queen. But this time, it's different. If Takeo even got his hands on you, I'm not sure what I would even do."

"That's why I believe that while my heart inside tells me that I need to protect you, we need to protect each other."

"Don't forget our friends." She giggled.

A small smile appeared on my face as she giggled, but faded after. "I will always remember them, and they'll make sure that we're okay."

She moved closer to me, leaning herself onto the side of my chest as I walked next to her down the trail that every one of our friends were as well. My hand strokes her soft, silky mane, calming me down after all those fears that I knew that we all were going to face certain danger.

Now, we begin our journey to find the Queen of the Hippos down south. Though inside, I had a really bad feeling that it might not end well...

"How about a game to pass the time?" Pinkie suggested to all of us out loud as she was bouncing forward. "A game of 'I Spy' will do quite nicely!"

"Okay, I do not want another pop culture reference for the rest of the trip, Pinkie!" I said to her as we all walk away, not looking behind us and with no regrets at the decision to go beyond Equestria.

* * *

 **Tempest's POV**

I stood there above on the balcony of the castle outside of the throne room, looking down at all of the mooks locking up all of the ponies we have captured.

The Wonderbolts that have tried to stop us earlier from our arrival into the capital were nothing more than taken into my hooves when the nets we had fired upon them. They were chained in a line, being herded like mindless sheep when the mooks demanded they move faster on their way to the cages with a growl.

Others like the young fillies were not even a problem for them, like the three that were personally thrown in when they couldn't even fight back. A pity... but it was only the orders that they were given by both myself and the Storm King, so I feel no remorse for how sad they look in there, separated from their families.

There are a few balloons still remaining from the party that had been set up for whatever they were planning. One mook uses his sharpened claws to grip at the balloons, snapping the string in half to release them into the sky. They in those various colors fly up past my line of sight toward the smoke-filled clouds.

"All this magic... wasted on parties..." I spoke to myself, watching as the balloons drift further upward to the skies until they had fully disappeared in the smoke. In the distance, I can catch the flag of Equestria being placed down from the courtyard, letting the mooks place up the flag of the Storm King in that message of conquest as he had told me. From below after the Storm flag was hung proudly, the mooks by the flag pole are gripping the creative flag, practically tearing it apart with the usage of fire to burn a symbol of Equestria for all of the ponies in that area to see.

The look of horror on their faces when they saw that their flag of their world that they founded on was set to fire, and there was absolute silence from them. A word spoken out, and it would result in punishment from the mooks as I had instructed them to do so. They were not going to have a say about what will happen next after the Storm King gets the magic into the staff I gave him.

I turn around, looking at the interior of the throne room from the open arch, trotting towards it to enter inside. "...When there are far greater uses..." I continued.

My eyes could catch the interior of the throne room that looked absolutely brand new from when I had first set hoof into the castle from the attack. The princesses that I successfully petrified into statue were all there, and even then I was still waiting for that other princess who got away, I was being very patient with Grubber for this, though as I am aware that Takeo had returned to greet his king who sat on the throne of the sun princess.

"Ahhh, my favorite commander... Tempest," The Storm King greets to me, turning my head to look at him. There he sat in the throne, laid back and making himself quite comfortable, the Staff of Sacanas resting near the side of the seat itself. "Any updates on the invasion outside?"

"It is all proceeding so well, your majesty," I said to him with a smile now on my face. "Everything in regards to our surprise worked truely as I had thought before."

The Storm King had a bit of a jolly laugh right there. "And right in the nick of time as well, I knew that was all worth the recruitment of you to my own side. Me? I'm just waiting for my great warrior Takeo to return after I had summoned him."

By the sound of the doors unlatching in front of us from the empty stain-glass display room, I turn my head towards them to see them opening up and revealing the royal guards of the Storm King themselves, their armor made of gold with silver for the symbol of the Storm Isles. The robes that accompanied the armor were that of a crimson red color, the color of human blood that Takeo had when he was attacked by that winged human who dare try to stop us.

They all marched forward, their big claws gripping onto their sharpened black spears as they move to the side by the double doors. I can see that long black haired figure that had been standing behind them, and now behind him were two of the same royal guards. It was that same human on our side that we recognized from the call of the horn that would summon him before the mighty where I stood.

Takeo...

* * *

 **Takeo's POV**

I moved forward with a blank, yet obedient expression on my face as I move forward. My master sat there upon his throne, a wide grin exposing his white shining teeth on his face as I went step by step to approach him.

His commander Tempest, has the both of her eyes on me with that look of trust on her face, with the invisible look that told me not to disappoint the Storm King, who knew me for many years when he had found me and raised me under his own fist. My eyes are drawn back to my master as I stop at the steps leading up to the throne, bowing down before him with my wings closed and a bit of my long black hair covering the left side of my face.

"Ah, you have returned, my honorable Takeo," The Storm King says to me proudly from above me. "The reports from the other Storm Guards had come to me while you and Tempest were on board, prepared for the invasion. I will admit that you have exceeded my expectations as you usually do just like when it came to torturing that Celaeno fellow into surrendering and joining our side as cargo haulers."

"It's nothing at all. Anything to keep you satisfied." I responded to him as he sat there, my head lowering to look at the carpeted rug that was laid out before even he set foot into Equestria.

He continued to speak with me, hearing a bit of the staff he had moving about. I'm guessing he picked it up to look and admire it. "Of course you would. You're much better than the lousy hedgehog runt Grubber, who I also had to take in after he was thrown out from his own tribe."

"He tends to have a big mouth when it comes to sweets," I chuckled for a moment when I was talking to him about Grubber. "But he is quite obedient, even to us on the way here."

"Of course," He says to me, getting up from the throne. "I heard a bit of moments ago that you were harmed. May I see the injury?"

I move my left hand upwards to the pieces of my long black hair that hid where that human had cut me. The Storm King is making his move down the steps of the stairs to stand mighty above me. My hand moves away the strands, revealing the bloody cheek slice to him. He is looking quite at it, and then he shows interest about what I was doing.

"You might want to get that patched up when you can, but I know that you'll brave it out as you always do," He chuckled, Tempest watching us and keeping the blank expression on her face as he was speaking with me. "But speaking of which, I figure that it must be the human that I have ordered you to capture or kill."

"About that..." I was about to tell him.

The weak smile on his face dropped. "Don't tell me... he got away, didn't he?" The tone in his voice had dropped down, and I knew that it couldn't be good when I told him the truth. Knowing my honor to the king, I always had to tell him. "He better not have..."

"...He did," I admitted to him, Tempest shooting me a look on her face that told me that she warned me that this would happen. "Me and the Storm Guards tried to get ahold of him, but he was too much and ended up escaping."

Looking up at the arctic blue eyes of my king, he looked rather angered with me for my first failure in the years he has known me for. He bends down a bit, gripping onto the both of my shoulders for that moment. I couldn't take my eyes off of him especially since I had let him down and had to face his wrath.

With the expectation of him using his head as a weapon to headbutt me in the face, it never came. The only thing I didn't expect was for him to knee me in the face and send me falling on my back. Never expected it, and all Tempest could do was stand there and not intervene in the punishment I was getting. I can feel his hand grab me by the collar and sweep me off the floor, sending me flying.

I wasn't able to catch myself in flight, and I took a landing onto the carpet of the throne room. I can feel the pain moving throughout my chin and below my face when I maintaining myself and trying to get up off of the ground. For the Storm King, I knew there was more he was going to say.

"My disappointment in you for failing the capture of that human, cannot even be erased from this memory of mine."

I began to slowly get up, facing my king once again. "He can't get away!" I insisted to him as he turned around to go back to the throne he had been sitting on. "He was about to strike at your commander, and I couldn't risk him intervening with your plans! Pretty much cut me right there, and ended up flying off after that!" I didn't mention to him about the waterfall where he and the rest of the ponies fell and very much disappeared. If I had said so, I knew what kind of cruel punishments would await, and I've seen it before with the other Storm Guards when being whipped on their butts for disobedience or slacking off on the job.

He stopped for that moment, turning to look at me when I finally got back up onto my two feet. "Wherever this human boy is going, you will track him down and bring him to me. If dead, either way it's a win-win for me because his body is going to be mounted on my wall." The tone is his voice sounds very authoritarian and quite firm on the situation.

"I will, my king. I will not fail you a second time."

The Storm King kept his glare at me as if confirming that I would truely get it done or not. Finally, he turns around and goes to sit in the throne he proclaimed his. "Well, this throne feels quite comfortable, even for my back. Don't worry, I'll make sure that the other throne is removed some time later from the room. I have some news from my point of view for the both of you to hear from me."

I walked forward, standing at the bottom of the steps once again to face my king and see what he was going to update us on. Tempest stands next to the throne, watching him with the blank, yet determined expression on her face.

"Anyhoo... here's the deal: the Storm King, which is I and his armies are in the middle of a big, HUGE re-brand here. My own title is tracking well as 'intensely intimidating', and so far everything is looking quite decent on that sort of level. But, I feel that there needs to be a change. I need something to back up my title. You know what I need to back it up with?" He explains to us before pausing, slamming his fist onto the armrest of the throne itself. "A storm!" He sounds rather irritated when he had shouted.

He is quite quick like any business representative that I have seen throughout Abyssinia during the invasions I joined alongside him with, and is able to calm down. "That would absolutely be perfect, especially when you had delivered it before me, Tempest," His focus is brought towards his commander whom still held her tongue. "You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? Nothing more than a branch... a twig. Bleh!" He sticks out his tongue in disapproval to that powerless staff he holds alongside the throne when he had picked it up.

"That would be the Staff of Sacanas, Your Excellency." Tempest states once again what the staff was called. Even if he doesn't know that I think this sometimes, he does act a little stupid when he forgets. The Storm King nevertheless nods along to her conversation as she goes on. "It will channel the magic of the four rulers of this land. When you have achieved that magic in the staff, you'll soon have the power of a thousand armies."

He goes on to grab a cloth and start wiping down the blue crystal on top of the staff. "So," He began his question. "That would be a 'Yes' on your locking down the four Pegacornicuseses, or whatever you call them?"

"Alicorns, my king." I commented out loud to the knowledge of what I've seen.

Tempest continued from there. "Give me three days to prepare. I'll have everything ready for you when everything is a hundred percent secure in the conquest."

"Very good," The Storm King chuckled and placed the both of his hands together. "That is exactly the spirit I know from you. You never fail me at all."

"Of course, your Excellency." She bowed to him.

"Now... go. Seek out the preparations and finish what has been started. If there are any rebels, capture them," He orders her, turning to me. "As for you Takeo, go and find this human. Bring him to me alive or dead, that's final."

"Yes, my king," I exhaled out as Tempest proceeds down the steps and across to the throne room doors. I bowed before him one last time, turning around and joining up with the commander as she was heading out.

"Oh, and Tempest?"

We stopped in our tracks close to the door, turning around to look at our king once again as he sat there in silence. He held an omnious stare upon his own face, those arctic blue eyes of his staring at those moderate opal eyes of the broken horned commander.

"Remember..." His voice was low-toned as he spoke. "Only I have the power to make you whole. Make this wretched twig work, and you'll get your reward. Fail me, or even try to betray me... your horn won't be the only thing that's broken."

"It won't be a problem," She says to him, pretty much at the same tone as him. "I won't let you down..."

"Good..." He says to her, leaning back on the throne in a relaxed position. "I'll be waiting..."

She turns back around and I go alongside her as the royal guards grip onto the handles and pull open both of the double doors. No thank you is given to them as they remain silent at all times as I have usually seen them like that under orders. But no doubt when the king is under attack, they are the quickest to strike and kill the hunters who soon become the hunted.

The doors close behind us as we proceed forward, and Tempest remains silent between the both of us. Moments of trotting towards the hallways of the castle is when she finally had opened her mouth. "The Storm King was very disappointed in you." She says to me.

"He was way too fast. There is no way that I could have managed to keep him down with all that magic he has. I'm pretty sure it might be coming from that silver claymore of his..." I responded to her. "But I will try harder than ever."

"You try too hard Takeo." She says to me as we both head out into the hallways, joining at the stained glass windows to look in the direction of South. Close to the border of Equestria where the deserts are... where Klugetown would be located.

I felt a little embarrassed that a renounced citizen of Equestria was putting me down. "Since the Storm King found me, I was put in years of training. Why else do you think he took me under his own fist as that warrior he was proud of? I don't want to end up like Strife."

"I have not known of you until the entire fiasco with the Misfortune Malachite. Since then, I have always viewed you as tough..." She chuckled for a moment, even as we heard footsteps coming towards us hurriedly. "So much for all that brutal energy you had with threatening me."

"It's just me doing my job."

"Tempest! Takeo!" We could hear the recognizable voice of the hedgehog runt, Grubber as we turn to see him running up towards us with guards that were with him to keep an eye on everything as even he was a member of the Storm Army. "There you both are, I've wondered what the Storm King had to tell you! The other princesses and that other alicorn are secure and being moved into the castle at once!" He stops, panting a little bit. Even then, his chubby little body can only take him so far.

"Ah Grubber, just who I needed to see," Tempest says, trotting a few steps towards him. "Do you have the last princess needed?"

At that moment, I remembered that I was with him when the human, princess and other ponies that were with them had fallen over the waterfall. Both me and him look a bit nervous about this as I was there and she doesn't know quite yet. I just eyed motions at him to just tell her the truth.

"Well, uh, funny story... It kinda seems like she..." He stuttered for a moment, nervous until he finally got it out of his system. "She and the other winged human like Takeo, they might've like, you know, got away... a little bit."

Tempest wasn't pleased at all to hear those words, staring at the hedgehog intently, even turning to look at me with that same disappointment. I have truely never seen her like this before, but I was sure that it wasn't even the first time either.

Grubber felt a little bad about this, hoping to clear up the situation a bit. "I know you're disappointed with both me and Takeo, but I got one word for you:" He proceeded to reach right behind him, pulling out a large sweet that even looked ready and delicious, but it was not the time to be thinking about sweets and candy. "Spongecake!" He proclaimed with a happy tone in hopes of cheering up the commander.

Didn't go quite well, as he was greeted with her horn sparking out energy and then being fired directly at the hedgehog himself, giving him quite a shock from his own failure and my own to capture the last princess, plus that human who I realized by now was named Brayden from the shouts of the ponies that were with him.

She turns around, and even then I see the impatient glare on her face. "I need all four for the staff to work. That other alicorn is nothing more than just a bonus!" Tempest was close to shouting at that point, almost like she was complaining.

"Hey, I know!" No you don't, Grubber. She has wanted her own horn back for a very long time and even then is starting to lose even more patience. It won't be long before she even snaps. "I want the Storm King to fix that crazy horn as badly as you do. But to be honest, it looks like a crackly chipped tooth on the top of your head. And you know you don't look good in hats."

A part of Tempest from my line of sight seems to have seen more of her own fury growing from within, like she has had enough and just wants everything for her to go back to normal. Seeing her horn light up, and the rage appearing on her face and the tone of her voice getting low and threatening, she turns around and faces Grubber.

"This princess... is not going to keep me from getting my horn back!" She really meant it when she sounded this threatening, finally barking out an order. "Prepare my ship!"

Grubber of course just ran off scared, going to get the ship ready. I approached her as she is trying to get herself as calm as possible. She closes the both of her eyes, stopping the magic emitting from her broken horn and takes in a deep breath. She holds it in for a bit and then finally lets out a long exhale.

"Please..." She said with annoyance now in the tone of her voice, even when she turned to look at me. "How far could a little pony and a winged human get on their own?"

"I don't think we need to worry about that," I said to her, turning around and placing my pale hand onto the windowsill from that enclosed stained glass. Out there in the view is to the south, which is where I saw the waterfall in that direction go from. "I think I have a good idea where they might be going..."

My eyes were set out towards the direction of the desert which I suspect would be where the human and ponies would think about trying to escape. Knowing about the place Klugetown, they probably won't even get past all of the merchants there as they would plan on wanting to buy them. If they are headed there, it shouldn't even be a problem getting both the alicorn and the human for my king.

"...We have them tied at the end of a string..."


	10. I'm the Friend You Need

**Brayden's POV**

The sun itself shone high above the horizon as I could feel my bare feet tread across hot desert sands that seemed to loop on forever in this endless landscape. Already it has been hours? Possibly a day gone by already since we had left to find the Hippo queen. Out here, I was unable to tell how long time could be told here.

The temperature in the desert though, it was quite unbearable for both myself and my friends. Both of them were sweating and it was no wonder they would be since they have fur on them. I mean, look at Pinkie, she is practically close to fainting at this point. Usually she would have water bottles stashed somewhere in case of a cold water emergency, but not this time. She wouldn't go this far out beyond Equestria.

Even before we had entered the deserts outside of Equestria's borders, we had to get past the Badlands where I had been captured by the changelings a bit of time ago. I had to dig up a lot of courage just to even walk past it because I had ran away last time and ended up in Queen Chrysalis' own hooves.

Still, it's good to know that of all the changelings, there is the good one Thorax living in the Crystal Empire.

All of my friends looks exhausted with sweat coming down from their own foreheads. Rarity almost looks like she is on the verge of just simply collapsing into the sand, not even caring if the insects that roamed here crawled all over her. Her mane looks to be very messy along with Pinkie's, whose mane has small hairs poking out. Though this must be the first time seeing my close friend without her mane being stylish, and naturally down.

I was thirsty... but there is nothing to drink. I was close to collapsing as well, but I was doing the best I could to keep my strength in, though I did look very exhausted. I almost couldn't handle the rest of resisting against the heat.

Pinkie right behind me, panting from the heat and the sweat coming down her forehead. "There's sand in my... everything..." I can hear her say in a tired, exhausted voice. Then there is a small chuckle from her, making me turn around to look at her. "Saving... Equestria..." Instead of another strained chuckle, what followed was a demented laugh like the sun above had drove her absolutely nuts like everypony else. I had that feeling she would become Pinkamena at any given moment. "Oh look!" She proceed to pick up a skull lying down in the grains of sand, picking it up and holding it close to her face. "Maybe this guy knows which way to go!"

A small little bug that roamed in the desert like the other ones we've seen in groups earlier here, crawls onto Pinkie. It moves around her head, moving down after that and wandering off back into the desert. My eyes were still on the crazed Pinkie who was listening to the silent, inanimate object she carried. For Celestia's sake, whoever that skull was is long gone. So yeah... she really should expect silence from something long since dead.

"What's that, friend? We're lost?" Pinkie crazily said, dropping the skull back into the sand. The skull landed softly into it, leaving no marks nor any sinking hole around it. My close friend of course, looks like she will have her mane inflated at any moment with a crazy grin on her face, dementedly laughing with a cough afterwards. Then she falls face first into the sand, collapsing. I figured that this either was her actually collapsing or she actually did faint.

Couldn't do anything with everywhere on my own body sweltering in the heat. I want to take off my shirt which could be one of the reasons, but I do not think my friends really need to be seeing that, even though Rainbow would be trying to get a picture so she can embarrass me afterwards when this is all over.

"I feel like... this desert goes on for... for an eternity..." I gasped out, strength inside me fading slowly and crumbling under the intensity.

Spike is very much gasping as we are close to dry, yet brownish rocks in the desert. Apparently his scales can resist cold temperatures, but it cannot do well against the scorch. "We could be going in... circles! Endless... sand..." He paused to inhale on each chance he could. "Nothin' for miles... but sand... and this rock... and this cactus..." I felt too dry-throated to acknowledge the small piece of cactus that was stuck on the baby dragon's butt. "And this roooooooooaaaaaad..." He absolutely collapses onto the hot grains that my bare feet couldn't stand. "...this rooooooad..."

Twilight who looked exhausted from all of the trotting could see the pattern of brown, desert rocks below resting there, sweat crawling down from her forehead. "A road?" Her voice wondered, following the path of rocks to the left side. I listened to her, unable to make a sound in my voice as my throat is dry. "Where there's a road... there's a..."

She paused for a moment, and I follow right behind her as she slowly begins to move her way up slope of the short dune. In the sky of what was becoming orange, I could see a bit of a distant yet close shadow overhead. A few of our friends follow behind for such a short distance. I can see Applejack dragging the unconscious Pinkie Pie along in the sand, groaning a bit from what strength she had.

I don't really blame her though, as I feel I should carry Pinkie and allow AJ to save her strength. My eyes still over the dune could catch the shadow taking more into shape. Twilight stopping at the top of the dune lets out a gasp of surprise with hope gleaming in especially when she has formed a smile on her mouth. Only when I had reached the top next to her, did I see what the shadowed figment was overhead.

What I had thought was somepony in the desert, instead was nothing more than a city in the distance. A city in the middle of the desert, featuring what looks to be for trade and meant for that whether with other items or not.

The others who had seen it afterwards looked to be amazed by the look of the city in the distance. A sign close by confirms the name of what I thought was a city, but was a town instead... "Klugetown".

Pinkie who had been unconscious wakes up immediately, bouncing ahead with her mane restored, and being the happy pony she was. "Oooh! A city! We are doing it, you guys!" She says excitedly.

"You know what they say," Rarity says to all of us with the relieved look on her face, yet eager in her tone. "Where there's a city... there's a spa!"

"Who says that?" Rainbow Dash asked her as we trotted down the road.

Applejack could only clear her throat to get Rarity's attention. "'Case ya forget, we're on a mission to save Equestria."

"I can multitask." Rarity insisted to her.

"Girls..." I said to both my close friends behind me as we make our way down the road. "We just found this city. I don't really think we should be messing around too much since we are in territory that we have never been to before. Who knows what danger is there."

Pinkie just went 'pfft' to that warning I brought up. "Don't worry Brayden," She tells me. "Who knows, they might enjoy a little party that I bring along!"

"Brayden is right, Pinkie," Twilight says to her. "We don't know Klugetown, so we don't even know how friendly the residents are here. But for Celestia's sake, I hope they are reasonable and tell us where this Queen of the Hippos is."

As we approached down the end of the path and towards the gates of the town, I knew that if there was any kind of threats at all, I would be the first to warn them with the Song of Order on my back. Still, I'm all about giving things a chance unless they already have shown their shady or evil side.

At least there is somepony there... a lizard-like creature handing out free water, so I guess a quick water break will do as we go in.

"Oh look at all of you," The lizard fellow greeted us as he saw the sweat moving down of our foreheads. Though sly he looked, his reptile-like hand reaches into the cooler in front of him for the packs of water bottles. "Come from quite a long way? You must be exhausted."

"All the way as far as Equestria." I said to him, my throat was dry so I could tell that I was sounding a little raspy.

He pulls out the water bottles, handing one to me first, then to everypony else. "Equestria, hmm?" He asked. "So a bit up north for all of you fellows."

Spike was already quick to grab a water bottle that was made of the finest steel, practically chugging it down with each sip he took. "Oh sweet Celestia, it's a miracle to have these at last!" He told us with relief in the tone of his voice.

I was taking a sip of that fresh, cool water as it brings the stinging dryness to a halt. Having a bit of water with me was great as Spike had told us. Twilight with each sip she took from the water bottle she had, has her right front hoof on top of my left hand, just to make sure that I was okay and I wasn't going to faint. I mean, I've only done that once in front of her... no way would I let that happen again.

"Thanks mister!" Pinkie greeted the lizard, having finished her water bottle. "I guess everypony else here in this 'Klugetown' is just as friendly as you?"

He shook his head, answering her question. "Don't really much count on that. There are many here that are shady and trying to earn Storm bucks from quite a sale or offer. Even the most simple thing, they will make bargains for. So do be careful."

"We will, thank you." I said to him as I turn direction to the arch that lead into Klugetown.

The girls and Spike were right behind me when we were right past that arch, seeing the distant shadowed windmill all the way down here. A few civilians of the town similar to the one at the front don't look to notice any of us coming in from the desert as they are busy trying to do business.

I can hear some squawking above us, when my eyes had turned to look up at the orange tinted sky in order to hear what kind of bird squawking it was since it was not any bird I have seen in Equestria before.

"A rare bird?" Fluttershy said, a little happiness in the tone of her quiet voice when she watched as the tooth-beaked desert bird flew above over our heads in the same direction we were headed in.

Turning to the corner of an alleyway, we watch as the yellow-sharp teethed bird squawks in the middle of its flight, but looks to be silenced by a lasso. It couldn't have been Applejack who did that, considering that she is with the group. Plus this was ahead of us, so I can see where the end of the rope would be.

Ahead of us for who had captured the bird, are two pig-like creatures that look like they would almost go well with a video game series back on Earth. They had gripped onto the bird that they've captured, looking at it mockingly.

"Don't worry, little one. We'll let you go..." The first pig-creature says to the bird with false comfort.

"To the highest bidder!" The other finishes his sentence, both of them laughing like complete maniacs when they have slammed the bird into a small cage, letting it squawk like crazy in there, unable to be free. I turn my head to look at Fluttershy who had witnessed deverything involving the bird. She looks absolutely devastated to see that.

"Storm King bobbleheads!" We can hear a vendor calling out for any sales that he can find.

From what knowledge I can gather from this place, it appears to be that we had entered from a random part of Klugetown's neighbouring square to the marketplace that looks very branched out into corners of the sandstone-like buildings. But merchandise based off of a tyrant bent on all of Equus' domination? No thanks.

"Hey! You with the horn." We can hear a vendor in the corner calling out to us. His tone sounded very deep and mysterious, but had a vibe that was quite suspicious as if he was planning something and even then, I knew that his eyes were piercing onto my wife Twilight. On his stall, there are what looks to be unicorn horns which seems absolutely terrifying to both myself and her. "You selling?"

I open up my left wing, using it as a barrier to protect Twilight in case he was thinking about doing something to her that he would regret doing if he tried. Twilight who was shocked to see all of the severed horns there at the stall, walks along without saying a word. Last thing I ever saw from the hooded vendor was a grin of malice when he watches as we go along. He was even slightly taller than me.

I can hear Fluttershy sounding worried about the birds in the cages that we had gone by. She didn't want to alarm them any further when they all began to squawk more. She was quick to gallop along back to the group, standing next to me. I had lowered my wing after we had moved away from the vendor.

Ahead of us, there is a wagon with a strange turtle-like creature loading barrels from the ground to be used as shipment for goods perhaps? A sign at the side of the wagon shows that it is owned by a 'Pushkin' who is the same creature we are looking at. He is trying with a bit of a grunt to get some barrels on, but they all tumble back onto the ground.

"Hi there!" Twilight introduces herself to the loader. He turns, instantly shooting a look of annoyance at her. "Here, let me help you with that."

Her horn channelled magic to summon auras around the barrels that had fallen. Though she was helpful for that part, that Pushkin fellow didn't look really happy to see somepony from outside his town helping him apparently.

"Hey! No magic around my merchandise!" He yells at her, causing her to flinch even when she had fixed it for him.

She moves away from the annoyed vendor, who is eyeing us as if we are going to cause more trouble. Needless, I shot him back a look that asked him what was up with his attitude towards my friends and kept on walking.

Already we had entered a large street which didn't look too busy, but there were a lot of creatures that I haven't seen before. Like seriously, a large cow or bull creature standing on two legs. I mean, true it's not close to Iron Will or one of my Ponyville friends Daisy Jo who happens to be a cow. Different similarities, but it is different genes I suppose.

"Okay," Twilight turns to look at us. "We just got to stick together. Be careful who you talk to, and try to blend in."

"I'm already sure that they are onto us. Already ran into two vendors and we look like troublemakers already," I looked around for a moment. "And by chance, this place doesn't look to have any kind of security force or anything, so what you said there. Be sharp."

"Umm, I don't mean to ask that... but where's Pinkie Pie?" I can hear Fluttershy's soft voice asking us.

I turned around for that moment to check up on Pinkie Pie since she was with us moments before. There was no sight of the pink pony with us. I swear if she had wandered off because of the sight of a party, I'm going to have to give her a talking to and tell her that she just can't go join a party at this time even when Twilight's and my own life are in danger.

" **CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE?!** "

My ears caught onto the sound of Pinkie belting out in an announcing tone in her voice that had gotten loud and was trying to get attention. Twilight of course, upon hearing this, lets out an annoyed and frustrated groan. Ahead of me, I can see the pink pony in the middle of the street calling out.

" **CAN ANYPONY TAKE US TO THE QUEEN OF THE HIPPOS?!** "

Only one of the Klugetown citizens in the street had caught the attention of Pinkie Pie and had approached her with an annoyed expression on his own fishy face. By chance, he did almost look like a fish, but had two legs, and to be honest... looks a little bit fat.

"You want something? You gotta give something!" He insisted with mild annoyance in his voice.

Pinkie zipped right into his arms, practically giving him an awkward expression on his face. "Well, how about a big warm hug from a grateful pony friend?" She asked with the brightest smile on her face.

The fish creature definitely gave her an answer to her offer and question. The only thing that really happened was him just giving her the emotion upon his face of saying "whatever" silently and just dropping her onto the ground before walking off for some more stuff to browse for.

"Pinkie! What are you doing?!" I called out to her as I pass by Twilight, trying to get to Pinkie as she is just going up to these random creatures that are absolute strangers to us. She doesn't know them and neither do they know her. The sound of my friends' hooves are behind me as I moving to my close friend who is just giving our presence away.

"How about this comb that I've never used?" Pinkie offers to some passerbys who don't really much too care what she is offering. Neither do the vendors at all since they look to have their own stuff to sell for quite a price. "A picture of my sister Maud?" She approaches one of the pig creatures, which is not like the ones that we saw earlier. She has a breath mint in one hoof that she is offering to him. "This breath mint? Seriously, buddy. Help me help you."

The only response the pig creature gave to her was quite a belch in the face. From this close, the smell of his breath was a little bit disgusting. I should be thankful though that Rarity didn't get within that range to smell it. Otherwise, prepare for the rants about manners and stuff.

"Pinkie, you can't just take off!" Twilight warned her, and though sounding a bit cautious, she was quite stern about this. She clenches her teeth together when speaking to her to make her point. "And you don't need to announce to every-"

"Relax, Twilight!" Pinkie insisted with a bright smile on her face. "I totally got this!"

"Are you sure about that?" I asked her, turning my head to look at all of the vendors and citizens. "Everypony here is looking directly at us, and I'm pretty sure all of your shouting did show us as complete newcomers here."

"Look at all that dirty, primitive clothing as well," Rarity commented, sounding a bit cautious about this just like Twilight. "If I had a business here, I'd be giving them brand new clothes. Forget about the spa though, this looks as dangerous as it seems."

I turn back to Pinkie. "If any of these strangers lay a hand on any of you, I'll give them a warning."

"Please Brayden, ease down. We're not looking to pick fights," Twilight says to me, placing a hoof on the top of my hand. "We just need to find somepony around this 'Klugetown' to see if they are willing to take us to the Queen of the Hippos."

There is the sound of footsteps approaching, and my eyes turn towards one of the vendors that Pinkie was talking to regarding her comb that she never used at all. "Well well... look what kinds of things all of you have here..." The lizard vendor slyly examines all of us with those lizard eyes of his.

"How much for the giant gecko?" He offers in question, pointing directly at Spike himself who is next to Twilight.

Spike took some offense to those words, but even then neither of us expected them to be wanting to buy something from us, even when they refused to help. "Who you callin' a gecko?" He threatens, almost wanting to charge at the vendor.

Twilight's right wing pops up to block the baby dragon from starting trouble, placing a careful expression on her face. "Spike isn't for sale." She insisted, though judging by the smile of the vendor he wanted to try to convince her to give up her assistant and best friend.

One vendor just pushes herself into the gathering crowd, raising up two fingers, looking directly at the elegant unicorn Rarity who is rather shocked at the vendor who tried to buy Spike and is still trying. "I want that fancy purple hair!" The vendor practically announces as if it were an auction that I was attending. "I'll give ya two storm bucks for it!"

A gasp came out from Rarity's mouth upon hearing the offering price for her own sweet mane that she takes great care of. "TWO STORM BUCKS?!" She sounded shocked as she raised her voice. "It's worth more than that!"

"Look at that shining claymore! I'll offer you everything for it!" Another vendor shouts at me, practically like he is just begging for it.

"No way! This thing is important and I cannot just give it away for even a high price!" I said, getting rather annoyed even when the crowd is this large now.

The crowd around me and my friends were huge, and everypony here was already making bets on everything we had, even betting on wanting to keep us as part of their own collection. Hey, we are actually beings that can take care of ourselves and don't need to be treated like pets.

"Back up everyone!" We can hear a voice that wasn't mine nor any of my friends speaking. I could practically hear it from above before a figure landed in front of us, with a tail practically raised in what looks to be alarm. His voice sounds quite calm in the situation, and it reminds me of someone I saw in a musical movie back on Earth. He has his paws out, keeping the crowd from getting closer. "Back it up!"

What I was seeing in front of me was a two-legged walking tall cat that was as tall as I am. He has light malachite green cat eyes, and a red coat with a patch, dark grayish indigo hair on top other than his moderate gamboge coat with lighter chest fur. I can only watch, but I actually believe that this is the first one that has come to our rescue that looks quite close enough to the civilians around here in this town. Still, he surprisingly looks different from a cat usually in Equestria... like Rarity's cat Opalescence.

"You are all in some serious danger!" The cat persists, moving to one of the vendors who practically gives him a mild, yet rude look as if not taking him seriously. "Now you didn't touch any of them, did you?" He moves his paw to point us all out to the vendors who were paying attention to him. "Just look at all those natural colors, and look at that human who is the size of me! You think they're natural?" He remains audible, but leans closer to the vendor. "They're infected with... 'pastelis coloritis'."

All of the vendors gasped with a little bit of fear in their breath. I wanted to smile at the clever cat's schemes for getting them away, but I knew I had to remain calm and not make an absolute fool of myself.

"Now ya listen here fella," Applejack says, trotting up towards the vendors right next to the cat. She sounds rather insistant that we don't need help. Seriously Applejack, now isn't the time to be lecturing unless you want a vendor to buy that Stetson-like hat of yours that you wear on your head, and even then, I will stop them from giving it away. "There ain't-"

The cat's tail swung into her mouth, stopping her from saying another word as he continued to speak with the vendors. "Don't worry, don't worry..." He remains calm, just as he sweeps his tail away from Applejack's mouth and moves it by itself towards a paint can nearby. "As long as not a single one of you are covered in purple splotches, then you'll be absolutely dandy." His tail dips into the paint which comes out purple at the end, whipping it towards the fish creature that Pinkie talked to earlier.

I was close to cracking laughter and giving away his own distraction, but I had kept calm with a straight face. "Uh-oh..." The cat says as he points right at the fish creature.

The fish creature who had touched Pinkie because she offered a hug to him was quite alarmed by this, looking right at his left arm before letting out a horrified gasp that had the others quite scared now. "What do I do?!" He almost screams.

"Enjoy your last moments, and don't touch anyone," The cat warns him with quite a clever smile on his face when he briefly turned to look at us. "Because parts will definitely fall off."

The fish creature already screams, running off along with all of the vendors who look to not want to be near us again at this point. All that was left standing is me, my friends and this cat fellow who is standing there, chuckling a bit to himself at all that he had done to save our own skins.

Curious indeed about this cat. He looks quite close to the society of two-legged cats that the Equestria newspapers had reported on when the Storm King had invaded the capital of Panthera months ago which was somewhere on the other side of the ocean. Wait, perhaps it might be so! I did recognize the King and Queen from the news report, so seeing an Abyssinian cat... amazing.

"Well, all right." He turned to look at us, walking around us as if he was studying us. Following what he had just said was a purr coming from him. He finally stops in his tracks as I watch Rainbow flapping right past me to interact with him.

"You... are... awesome!" Rainbow gave him praise, as his cat eyes turned to look at her with a smile on his face, nodding from her response.

"And quite charming." Rarity approached the cat, who looks down at her with the same response, but more accurate to what my close friend had said. Spike on the other hoof, doesn't look very impressed with this cat fellow, especially when Rarity's giggle gave away that she might be falling for this fellow.

The cat curtsies before us, no hesitation to introduce himself. "Capper's the name. Charming's my game."

"Wow," I actually made my first response to him when he finished his curtsy. "You are actually as tall as I am."

All Capper can do is chuckle at my comment. "You're not the only one that has ever said that. Jack told me that before all of you came into Klugetown. Why out here? It's quite dangerous."

Jack? So there is another human here besides me, my Earth friends and Takeo who is out to kill me? Quite a mystery that I will have to look into once this journey to the Queen of the Hippos is done and over with.

"Ya seem to stand out a lot here." Applejack says to him.

"It was a long journey, and I didn't want to go back to Panthera when the Storm King had robbed the kingdom of its treasures and worth. I've made it quite fine well here... especially... since my friend left me..." At the mention of his own friend, his head is lowered and his ears flop a little bit.

"Your friend? What happened?" I asked him.

He turns to look at me. "Perhaps if all of us know each other a little more, perhaps I can explain to all of you what had happened and how it all led up to here." He tells me, not wanting to tell us at the moment.

"Well, in that case..." A smile crossed onto my mouth and I extended my hand to his paw which he takes and is shaking. "I'm Brayden, the Paladin of Equestria to the North and the Son of Celestia. Some royal guards in Canterlot call me by paladin, but my friends and everypony else call me by my name."

"So you are of a status, hm? Kind of like your alicorn friend here, right?" He looks directly at Twilight when he mentions her.

"Actually, in a way, me and her are more than friends," I said to him, turning to look at Twilight who is listening to our conversation. "She is there for me when nopony else would. We've been married for some time ago, and are there to protect each other."

"Two star-crossed lover destined for one another, one I have seen in newspapers of events across Equus, and another of another world I haven't seen other than Jack who's origin remains a question for me."

"I have all of the answers to that," I said to Capper in regards to this Jack fellow. "Perhaps you can be willing to help us? We're looking for the Queen of the Hippos."

"Queen of the Hippos?" He questions quite warmly, turning around and signalling us to follow him. "Follow along, and don't slow down my new friends!"

Pinkie is the first of the group to follow behind the charming Capper, eager to show us the way where the Hippo Queen is. Twilight looks to be a little suspicious though, as if something was wrong or if she didn't trust him for that reason of wanting to give us help.

Her wing stretched out to block the pink pony from proceeding further. "I don't know if we should trust him..." Twilight comment, a tone of concern in her voice.

"Why shouldn't we?" I asked her, her eyes turning to look at mine. "This is the only one out of all others in this town to offer us help. This is the opportunity to get even further away, especially if Tempest and Takeo come looking for us."

Pinkie bounced up and down like the excited pony that she was. "We could definitely use a friend out here!" She exclaims happily.

I can see Capper get between both Twilight and Pinkie, looking at all of us. "You know what? Little Cotton Candy Hair is right." He says, actually agreeing with me and Pinkie for once. This is one rare time where I have to disagree with my wife, even though I will take her side on other matters. "And, if I do say so myself..."

By that deep breath that he was taking in, I can tell that he was just about to sing a song.

 _This town is not a nice place_

 _For little fillies all alone_

 _There are lots of twists and corners_

 _That could lead to the unknown_

 _Let me guide your way_

 _And I'll be sure to help you through_

 _You could really use a friend out here_

 _And luckily for you..._

 _I'm the friend that you need_

 _When you're lost and don't know what to do_

 _I'm your pal, your amigo_

 _Useful and resourceful too_

 _And my help, you'll concede_

 _Is a plus guaranteed_

 _You can call and I'll come running_

 _Just follow my lead_

 _'Cause I'm the friend you need_

 _I'm a friend, quite a friend_

 _I'm a friend indeed_

 _You need a bud to stop the danger_

 _A pal to stop the creep_

 _A chum and not a stranger to assist_

 _You need a bro who is cunning_

 _That can help you take the leap_

 _A friend who knows what's lying in the mist_

 _Don't fear these darkened alleys_

 _They're scary, yes, I know_

 _Why, you could use a friend_

 _To protect you wherever you go_

 _And such a dazzling beauty_

 _Covered in dirt and muck_

 _But now your fate is changing_

 _Now you are in luck_

 _'Cause I'm the friend that you need_

 _When you're lost and don't know what to do_

 _I'm your pal, your amigo_

 _Lookin' out for friends like you_

 _And my help, you'll concede_

 _Is a plus guaranteed_

 _Just call and I'll come running_

 _We'll say it's agreed..._

Entering past the gate to the windmill, which I can presume is where Capper lives, I didn't see him following right behind as he allowed us to go first. I place my ear against the door of the gate, hearing him quietly talking to somepony.

I listened to what I could decipher, only hearing the names 'Jack' and a 'Verko'. Probably something that he is taking a break from whatever he is doing here in Klugetown I guess, but I shouldn't jump in and ask what is happening. I join my friends by the bottom of the mill, waiting for him to pop out from the gate, by which he does.

 _'Cause I'm the friend you need!_

 _I'm a friend, quite a friend!_

 _I'm a friend indeed!_

* * *

When the song had finished up, we had arrived at the top of the bottom mill to a trap door that had been placed there, which he opens up from the bottom. He is the first to enter into his humble windmill home, and I follow right behind him, placing my hands onto the wooden planked floor as I climb upward.

Capper makes the necessary introductions to his place. "Welcome, young human prince and my little ponies, to my little manor!" He sounds quite proud by the tone of his voice.

Looking up off from the wooden planks, the first sight when I turn was a slightly worn, yet comfy rug there in a living room setting. The rest of the windmill home itself looks to be like he is one for collecting all kinds of random junks and turning them into wonderous masterpieces. Hanging above us are what look to be like what is to be many small chandeliers, but are mostly just pots carefully secured onto by ropes.

There is a painting ahead that looks to be an old painting of an Abyssinian captain standing proud with its cat tail raised and overlooking the seas. Only difference here is that Capper created the face of himself to replace the old picture of the captain. Unless this is a story that has been told throughout their legends, I know almost nothing about the enchanted lands beyond Equestria.

"Ooh!" I can hear Rarity say behind me as she is examining the place and the artifacts around us. "A sort of a roco-hobo-Bohemian hodgepodge."

"Apologies for the state of my litter box, I wasn't expecting guests," He says to us with a chuckle, as I turn and see him walking down towards a pantry to grab what looks to be some tea, and maybe some snacks for us. "Why don't I make all of you some tea and we'll figure things out from here?"

Rarity looks more than satisfied to hear about the suggestion of tea. "We haven't had those since we left Equestria. Of course we'll be happy to have those."

"As long as we focus on trusting this cat to lead us to the Queen of the Hippos, I'm in huge relief." Twilight commented, trotting over towards the bookshelf. Haha, of course my wife or as I sometimes nickname her 'the bookworm' would like to peek at the books.

Capper uses his tail to place the kettle onto the top of the stove, starting it to boil up the water inside. Me? I haven't had tea in a while either, but I'm looking forward to tasting whatever this Abyssinia tea is. Perhaps it is a rare kind of taste, like a fruit from outside of the borders of Equestria.

"So... y'all sure y'all want the Hippos?" Capper asked all of us while he takes out the snacks from the same pantry, placing them onto the table. A majority of these snacks are fruits, so I reached to the middle of the table after moving closer, grabbing a fresh apple.

Pinkie hops on over to the table, taking a seat as she looks at Capper with a playful expression on her face. "Yessirree! The Queen of the Hippos!"

"Not like the Queen of the Lions, or Tigers, or Bears?"

"Oh my!" Fluttershy stated as she gets up onto a chair at the table. Me? I was taking my seat, leaving a seat open for Twilight. I was more smiling about the pop culture reference that both the cat and my closest friend had made. Even if I said no more pop culture references, I guess I can let this one slip by because it reminds me very much of childhood back on Earth.

I can hear the magic aura of Twilight's when she picks out a book from the shelf, trotting over beside me and taking her seat. "I think I might be a bit interested in looking through this book, Capper. Do you mind if I take a look?" She asked the cat who turned and looked at her with a warm expression on his welcome face.

"I don't mind at all," He said to her, laying out grained crackers onto the small plates for us, leaving us a couple of seedless grapes as well as cheese. Though I am unsure if it the usual cheese from the Equestria cows or if it is from the goats, since they provide Equestria with that as well. "Take as much time as you want to look into the book. It should tell you a lot about everything here in Abyssinia which is from here, all the way to across the ocean to the other side."

"Thanks." She said to him with a smile. Her eyes are guided back to the dusty leather cover of the book, opening it up and beginning to skim through the pages to see if there are anything interested for her violet colored eyes.

On the stove, the kettle begins to sound off as the steam bursts out in the boiling. Capper uses his tail, turning the top of the stove off, grabbing the kettle and bringing it to his furred hands. He grips onto it, pouring each of us the hot water which I know I will let set to cool down. Then he dips every one of the tea bags into our cups.

"I have a feeling that with you, human prince, this will be quite an interesting conversation." Capper says to me, taking a seat at the table and looking at me.

"Please... call me Brayden," I respond to him with a chuckle. "It's how my friends call me. I may be a prince due to my bloodline, but I don't want to be the talk of the town."

"Very well," He chuckled as well, grabbing an orange from the center of the table. "Would you like me to cut the orange for you?"

For that question and generosity that he was showing me, I smiled as well as Rarity who was watching the conversation between us. I didn't know about this, but I guess my heart is telling that Capper himself would prove to be quite an ally for us.

"That would be nice. Haven't had an orange in months. I have an apple already, but I have plenty of room in my stomach to fill." I said to him, leaning back in the chair, taking the tea cup that was filled in my hands, removing the tea bag.

"One cut up special Abyssinian orange coming right up!"


	11. Author's Note

**Hello everyone, Nekron here.**

 **I have some bad news to tell every one of you for those who have been reading Consign To Oblivion, and have been waiting patiently for the next chapter.**

 **I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, but I have made the hard decision to place this story on an indefinite hiatus.**

 **The reason for the permanent hiatus is hard to explain, but I shall give you the short, easier version of my explanation: It's most because I feel very burnt out from trying to write for both this and Learning To Live. I do not believe that I might be coming back to this story anytime soon, and it's a shame too, because I had some great ideas that would come, but all of a sudden make me hit a brick wall when trying to write down the story.**

 **If I do decide to come back, you'll know when you see that there is an update.**

 **As for those reading Learning To Live, I thank all of you for your patience as I continue to write down the next chapter of the story. After five years into writing this story, I have to say there are 20 - 23 chapters left, so I hate to say that the story is going to be closing the book really soon. Yep, just those chapters and then the story is done.**

 **One or a few readers have asked me if there will be a series or a sequel to Learning To Live when I am finished with it. For me, I would say no to the idea of a series, but a sequel is a very small maybe. If it is a confirmed idea, it would mostly consist of the ideas that I've had to cut from the final product of Learning To Live. For those who gave me the ideas that I've sadly had to cut, I apologize in advance.**

 **If there is to be no sequel, I am sure that I will write in an ending that will wrap up everything that was set up in the story. The ending for Learning To Live is already 100% developed, and will be quite surprising when it comes in.**

 **I do have some original ideas that I have been wanting to work on for a little while now, so once I have finished LTL, then I can begin work on them immediately.**

 **Again, thank you for all who have been reading this, and I hope you'll enjoy the last couple of chapters of Learning To Live.**

 **May the Magic of Friendship prevail, now and forevermore!**

 _Nekron Smauzog_

* * *

 **Another update, so I can clear up everything for those who are demanding more chapters for Consign.**

 **There might be more chapters in the future. Just mostly depends on both my writing and work schedule, but do keep an eye out for any updates, especially on this author's note as it could change into a chapter. However, it's not that simple nowadays. It's mostly based on if I feel there should be another chapter and it has to come to mind. It doesn't just come at the snap of a finger, but if there is another chapter, there will be plenty of joy for those wanting to continue the story.**

 **So again, just remain patient. There are plenty of others out there until this one bobs again on the hook of the fishing net.**


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